Dark Link's Legacy
by Alex Hemming
Summary: Full summary inside on chapter one. Chapter Eight is up! The actionpacked ending to Dark's journey has come. Please R&R, I love hearing from my readers!
1. The Encounter

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time or any of the other Zelda games. I only own this story. I wish I owned Dark Link, but I don't. sigh Ok, just to warn you people, the prologue is for people who have no idea what's going in this story, and all the Zelda experts out there had best skip it. It explains the basics of Ocarina of Time so that people don't have to go out and buy the game to get what's going on. Also, even though the prologue has part of Link's story in it, this story is about **Dark Link **(I call him Dark because it's easier than saying Dark Link Dark Link Dark Link over and over again). So… yeah. Please enjoy! I worked really hard on this. And please post nice, constructive reviews. Flames just make me cry, and when I cry, it scares people.

P.S. This is probably rated R for violence, at least the first chapter is. It's not like guts spilling everywhere, just overly-dramaticness (I realize that isn't a word, but it gets the message across).

**Full Summary:**

During Link's adventures as an adult, he encounters and defeats a being that is a shadowy likeness of himself, known as Dark Link. Seven years after Link defeats Ganondorf and is sent back in time, Dark Link reawakens and sets off on a journey of his own, seeking revenge not against his murderer, but his creator, Ganondorf. Along the way, he proves to everyone (including himself) that he is not just the shadow of some hero, and discovers the most important thing of all: Love. This is a story of self-discovery, courage, and unfailing resolve: this is Dark Link's Legacy.

**Prologue**

A long time ago, in a place that no longer exists, there was a kingdom called Hyrule. It was populated by a wide variety of creatures: There were the Zoras, a race of fish-people, the Gorons, a race of rock-eating giants, and the Kokiri, who were small and child-like.

There were the Gerudos, a barbarous race that dwelt in the deserts of Hyrule, the Sheika, the shadow-people, and the Hylians, a race of elf-like creatures that possessed special powers. Each race made an important contribution to the land of Hyrule, but the Hylians were special, for among them was born the bane of evil; the Hero of Time.

The Hero of Time started off life as a Hylian, but when he was very young, a war broke out in Hyrule, and his mother fled with him to the Kokiri Forest to seek sanctuary. He had arrived unscathed, but his mother suffered from a deadly wound. She went to the Great Deku Tree, the guardian of the forest, and begged him to take care of her young son. The guardian agreed to look after him, and she died.

Link grew up in the Forest, living among the Kokiri, who were native to the area. He was indistinguishable from the rest of the tiny folk, except for one small detail: each of the Kokiri had fairy companions except for him. Because of this single flaw, he was teased mercilessly by Mido, the self-proclaimed leader of the Kokiri, and the rest of them avoided him, not wanting Mido to tease them too. Only one of them was a friend to Link; her name was Saria, and she was a bit of an outcast herself. She was much more mature than the others, and so she kept to herself until Link's arrival. She enjoyed Link's company, because he wasn't blissfully ignorant like the others, and was fond of telling tales of adventures in the world outside of the forest. They played together often, and had become fast friends by the time Link began his journey to save Hyrule.

His journey began with a nightmare, a nightmare he had had frequently that past month. The dream began with Link standing in front of a large castle, in the middle of a storm. The drawbridge to the castle would open, and a rider on a white horse would rush by, clutching a girl in her arms. The girl would look at Link as if trying to tell him something, but was lost from sight before she could say a word. Then another figure would cross the drawbridge on a black horse and look down menacingly at Link. Then Link would wake up. On this particular morning, Link was woken up by a fairy named Navi, who would be a great help to him in the journey ahead. So began a great tale of courage and determination, a tale that would forever be known as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

It was during this journey that Link met a shadow of himself and vanquished it, or so he thought. This is that shadow's story.

**Chapter 1: The Encounter**

Dark sat against his tree on his island, assuming his usual position. His knees were drawn up to his chest, his arms rested on his knees, and his head rested on his arms. His eyes were closed, but he was not asleep. Shadows do not need to sleep. He was searching his mind for memories, memories of birds, of grass, of sunshine. They were not his memories; he had never left his room. No, they were the memories of the one person he was created to look like, and to kill. They were the memories of Link, the Hero of Time.

Dark had few memories of his own, only recollections of days and days of sitting in that cold chamber, waiting for the time when he was to complete his mission, and of the day he was created. He remembered opening his eyes, and the first thing he saw was the cold, grinning face of Ganondorf, who was, at the time, the King of Hyrule. Ganondorf had told him of a man who would dare threaten his rule, a man who called himself the Hero of Time. Ganondorf had instructed Dark to wait in that room until the man came, and to kill him without hesitation. Dark had agreed to complete this mission, not knowing what else to do, and Ganondorf had left. That had been a long time ago, Dark didn't know how long. It could have been a month ago, or a year ago, or just a minute ago. There was no way to tell time in that unnatural room. But still he waited, examining the memories of someone he had never met, imagining himself out in the world that was never intended for him.

He was imagining the sound of birds when he heard the bars go up on the door behind him. The sound was like a punch in the gut, so different and so sudden was it. Then he heard a very familiar sound, the sound of feet splashing through shallow water. He had heard the sound every day of his life as he paced the floor, restless and bored almost to the point of insanity. The footsteps crossed the room slowly before reaching the door on the other side of the room, and Dark heard another new noise, a sigh of relief. He dared not look up, though was not sure why he feared being seen. Then there was another familiar sound, the rattling of bars on a door, and growls of frustration. There was the sound of steel on leather as a sword was drawn, and a clear voice tinged with annoyance rang out through the room. "Alright, whoever's there, come out and fight."

Dark paused a moment, debating whether he should obey or not. Then he stood up slowly. He kept his head bowed and his eyes closed, delaying the moment when he would finally get to see his adversary face-to-face. Then he raised his head and looked, and saw that it was indeed Link, wet and tired from the trials of the Water Temple. They stared at each other for a few minutes, taking in the sight of each other. Dark was astonished to see another person after so much time alone, and one so animated and colorful. Link was astonished to see someone who was his perfect shadow, with the exception of two vibrantly scarlet eyes. After recovering from his initial shock, Link was the first to break the silence. "Who… or what… are you?" he said. It was a question that wasn't really meant to be answered, but Dark answered anyway.

"I am every angry, senseless thought you have ever had," Dark began, and his voice was like ice and stone and the venom of snakes. "When Mido used to pick on you, because you did not possess a fairy companion of your own, I was there, even though you were not aware of it. I was in the back of your mind telling you to fight back, to punch him in the face, to push him in the water. When you almost lost your fight with Ghoma, I was the fear that shook you, and I was the voice in your head telling you that you would never see Saria or anyone else again. Every angry curse you have uttered to an enemy, every black thought you've ever had, every single thing you have been ashamed of or regretted, that is who I am." He drew his sword and held it in front of his face, with the keen edge facing outward. "I am Dark Link, and I was summoned by the great Lord Ganondorf to destroy you."

Link stared at the shadowy youth in horror. He felt fear beginning to overwhelm him, and looked down at his boots, unable to meet the shadow's gaze. Then he remembered his mission: to save Hyrule, and to save Zelda. He looked up at Dark and said resolutely, "I cannot be steered from my cause."

"Very well," Dark replied. He dropped into a defensive stance. "The only way to get through that door is to defeat me. So, what are you waiting for?"

Link took a deep breath, and then charged. Dark charged at the same time, and they met in the middle. Dark easily parried the blows that came his way, knowing Link's every thought. The clashing of their swords was like a constant peal of thunder as the two engaged in a frenzied duel, each giving and taking an equal amount of blows and neither having any real advantage over the other.

After a while they both began to grow weary from the endless battle, and Link decided on a small change in plans. He back-flipped away from Dark to give himself some room, and then began to charge his sword with energy. The blade turned from blue to red as Dark drew near, and Link released the energy, spinning in a stationary circle from the force of the magic. With a cry of pain, Dark was thrown back by the blast into the dead tree on his island. He sat slumped against the tree, breathing hard, as a large, newly-opened gash in his stomach bled black mist.

Link approached him cautiously, and Dark eyed him with scorn. "What are you frightened of?" he spat. "I am beaten." Link stopped in his tracks, and then looked around as the bars lifted over the door that led further into the Temple. He turned to go, but Dark called him back. "Wait! Please," he said weakly, dropping his superior attitude. "Don't leave me here for Ganondorf to find. When he learns that I have failed, he will do terrible things to me. Please, kill me. Be merciful."

Link saw a combination of fear and pleading in Dark's eyes, which replaced the hardness that had been there before. Link sighed, and then walked over to Dark, lifting his sword above his head. Dark lifted his chin so that Link had a clear target, and whispered a quiet, 'Thank you." Link felt his stomach lurch, and brought the sword down hard, knowing that if he waited any longer, he would not be able to do it. The steel went right through Dark and thudded into the rotten wood behind him, and Dark heaved as blood rushed up his throat and trickled out of his mouth. Link quickly withdrew his sword, and Dark fell forward and was swallowed up by the water. The room returned to the state it had been in before Ganondorf took over the Temple; the ruins vanished, as did the tree and the island and the inch of water on the floor. The walls came back into sight, replacing the white oblivion stretching into nothingness that had previously surrounded the room. Link stared sickly at the floor where Dark had disappeared, then turned and ran through the door that lead deeper into the Temple, eager to forget what had just happened.

Link went on to defeat Ganondorf, and when he was returned to his own time, all that he had accomplished in an alternate future had remained. All the enemies he had defeated were destroyed, all the races were free, and Ganondorf was sealed inside the Shadow Realm, hopefully forever. Link, having excepted the fact that he was Hylian, went to live at the castle and became a soldier in the Hyrulian Army. He adapted well to palace life, and won the respect of his fellow guards when they saw the talent he had for fighting. All the while, Dark slept in a watery grave beneath the Water Temple, unknown and undisturbed by the Zora priests that frequented the place, setting aright the spells that Ganondorf had warped and driving out the enemies that Link had not yet defeated. Link had aged seven years before Dark woke up again.


	2. Dark Link's Awakening

Woot! I finally have chapter 2 up! I worked really hard on this, so I hope you guys like it! Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first chapter, Ang, Greki, and an anonymous author, you all were very polite and encouraging, thank you!

clears throat Ok, onto the story. Enjoy!

**Chapter 2: Dark Link's Awakening**

Dark opened his eyes. _I'm alive…_was his first thought. _I'm underwater…_ was his second. He reached out with his hands, and his fingers hit solid tile. Panicking slightly, he punched the tile, hard. He felt it give a little under the blow, and punched it again. It cracked, and he punched it a third time with all his might. His fist broke through, and shards of tile drifted passed him, sinking to the bottom of the underwater cavity. Dark proceeded to widen the hole, and soon it was big enough for him to get through. He pulled himself up into the chamber and shook his head to get the water out of his hair. He looked around and saw that he was in a room that looked different from the room he had fought Link in, but he knew it was the same room. It felt the same, and there were the same two doors at either end of the room. The doors… they were unlocked! He could leave!

He heard a noise like the squeak of a frighten mouse and turned around. He saw three Zora priests staring at him with wide eyes, their faces a mixture of shock and terror. He gave them a hard look, and then said, 'Which door leads out of the Temple?' It was more of a command than a question.

Unsure of who he was addressing, all three of the priests pointed towards the door on Dark's right. He walked over to the door and exited the room without a single word of thanks, leaving the priests frightened and confused.

Dark did not have much trouble finding his way through the Temple, since he remembered how Link had navigated the numerous rooms and passageways, and if he was unsure about something, there always seemed to be a Zora around that was more than happy to point him towards the exit. He would have explored the Temple, to see what had been denied him all these years, but he was much more eager to leave the place behind him. He reached the entrance and exited without even a second glance back at the only world he had ever known, or the bewildered Zoras he'd passed without a word of explanation.

Upon exiting the Temple, Dark resurfaced in Lake Hylia, rumored to be one of the most beautiful places in Hyrule. He quickly clambered onto the island in the middle of the Lake and spat in the clean water. He would never go in water again if he could help it. It was a good thing that shadows did not have to bathe. He went and sat against the lone dead tree on the island, more out of habit than anything, and heard a "clang" as his shield hit the wood. In a fit of rage, he unbuckled his scabbard from around his torso and tossed both his shield and his sword into the water. He no longer needed them, and they were painful reminders that he was simply a copy of another's life. He took off his tunic and hat as well, leaving just his undershirt on and allowing his long black bangs and short black ponytail to blow in the wind. He decided to keep his hat, just in case, as well as his belt, gloves, and boots. He glared at his tights, hating them, but there was nothing he could do about them at the moment. He stretched out on the grass, feeling for the first time its prickly touch and the caress of the sun on his face. He dozed off listening to the birds singing above his head, and breathing sweet breaths of free air.

When Dark next woke up, the sun was sinking below the western horizon, and the sky was filled with brilliant oranges, reds, and yellows. He watched the sun set for the first time in his life, marveling in the beauty of it all. He wondered why he had never been outside before, and then the answer came to him in one word; Ganondorf. It had been Ganondorf that had kept him locked up in that Temple. It had been Ganondorf that had kept all this beauty from him for so long. A sudden fire flared up in Dark, and he cursed Ganondorf's name. He had just been an ignorant puppet of the evil man's schemes, and had meant nothing to his creator at all. All he had been was a nameless minion among a million others. Dark felt betrayed and lonely, and suddenly angry. He would get Ganondorf back for this, sooner or later. He would have his revenge.

Dark stood. Restlessness had settled upon him, and he couldn't sit still. In doing so, he became more aware of his surroundings. To be more specific; he remembered that he was surrounded by water. He realized then that he could not stay where he was, could not stand the sight of the water. He didn't realize it, but in the few hours he had been sleeping, he had developed a sort of hydrophobia. He looked around, and saw a bridge leading to a smaller island, and one leading from the smaller island to the shore. He set off towards the first bridge, but when he put a foot on it, it wobbled slightly beneath his weight. He hesitated, unsure of its stability, then mustered up the last of his courage and started across. He hurried across the first bridge and onto the next, trying not to look down or make the bridge sway overly much. When he got to the shoreline, he let out his breath, suddenly aware that he had been holding it.

There was a building right next to the end of the bridge, and Dark walked around it, examining it. It was the first Hylian dwelling he had ever seen up close, and he was intrigued with it. He saw a door on the other side and looked in, not bothering to knock. He was amazed by what he saw; one large table sat near the front of the room, and it was covered in glass piping. Various colored liquids coursed through the piping, dripping out into glass beakers or mixing together in large vats. In the back of the room was a large pool of water, and there were shelves lining the walls that held strange specimens. No one seemed to be inside, so he went in, his curiosity getting the best of him.

He was examining the tubing more closely when he heard a voice behind him. "Don't touch anything, please. They're all very fragile." Dark spun around to see an old man standing right behind him. The old man could barely see Dark at all in the dim light, but he could see his glowing red eyes fairly well. He cried out in surprise, then stumbled back and grabbed a frying pan and a small pot of salt from his cupboard. "Stay back!" the old man cried, hefting the frying pan over his shoulder. He shook the pot at Dark, spilling a bit of its contents on him and saying, "Demon begone!"

Dark drew away from the salt, yelling, "I'm nota demon, you stupid old man!" He shook his hair and brushed himself off to get the salt off that had been successful in landing on him.

"What are ya then?" said the old man snappishly.

"I am Dark…" He couldn't finish. He despised that title. "I am a shadow," he said instead, "and I go where I please."

"Dark, eh?" said the man, putting the salt back but not lowering his frying pan. "A shadow, eh? Highly irregular, I must say, very strange. But who casts the shadow Dark, I wonder?"

"That's not important at the moment," said Dark with a wave of his hand. Then he got an idea. "Wait. Tell me something, old man: Where is Ganondorf?"

"The Gerudo King?" asked the old man. "I haven't a clue. One minute he's buttering up the King of Hyrule, the next minute, poof! Gone."

"He just… disappeared? Into thin air?"

"Aye, well…" the old man said, lowering his frying pan and leaning in. He whispered secretly, "There's a rumor going around, something about him getting in trouble with the Royal Family and getting sealed up in a Secret Helm or something of that sort. But I don't trust that theory. Why do you want to know?"

"I have my reasons," said Dark, "but they do not concern you, so I see know reason to reveal them to you."

"Very well, have it your way." He yawned and stretched. "It's late. Out of my house. Go on, move!" He shoved Dark out the door and slammed it behind him. Dark spat on the door spitefully, and then turned to leave, when he noticed something hanging on the old man's clothesline. Upon further investigation, he found that it was a pair of black pants. He put them on and tied a rock to his tights, slinging them out into the middle of the Lake. The pants were a bit big, so he took his belt out of his pack and used it to keep them up. He strolled off towards Hyrule Field, feeling more like his own person, and less like a shadow of someone else.

Not long after he entered the Field, Dark spotted a campfire a little ways away. He crept towards it, and slowly the men sitting around it came into view. There weren't many of them, five at the most, and they were dirty and unshaven, robbers probably. As Dark got closer, he could hear them talking in rough voices.

"So then, I took 'im by the throat and said, _How would ya' like ta make me?_ And he started snivelin' like a brat. _Don't hurt us!_ he said, just like that. So I said, _Just gimme yer rupees, and none of you'll be hurt_. He started forkin' over the loot like he was diggin' in the dirt! I took the lot and ran off with his horses, and there they are." He pointed to a couple of beasts grazing near the fire. "Yes-sirs," he said, stretching and leaning against a tree, "the life of a crook is a grand one."

"Yer the best, boss," said a robber close to him.

"Aye. And that's barely the half of it. I could tell you tales 'bout myself all night if I had a mind."

"Uh, boss?" said another robber. "Ya know, I coulda swore…"

"You swore all the time, mate," said another robber.

"Shuddup and lemme finish!" said the first. He turned back to his boss, saying, "I coulda swore I left me cloak hangin' on that branch there, but it ain't there anymore. You seen it?"

"Nah, I ain't seen it," said their boss, unconcerned. Then they heard a crash nearby, and all of them moved over near the tree to look around, knives drawn. As they peered into the darkness, Dark, who'd thrown the stick to distract them, strolled over to the horses in the firelight behind them, drawing the cloak about his slender frame. He untied the horses and mounted one just as the first robber looked back around. Before the robber could alert his friends, Dark was off, holding the reins of one horse in one hand and the reins of the other horse in his other hand. He jumped the campfire and galloped off into Hyrule Field, and the thieves' yells of anger and surprise slowly faded into the distance. He smiled scornfully at the thought of thieves who had been robbed by an unarmed shadow. _Stupid fools_, he thought.

He rode on until morning, when he saw the sun rise over Hyrule Field. The plains were washed in golden light, which made every dewdrop sparkle so that every blade of grass seemed sewn in stars. Dark marveled at the site. _How beautiful and vibrant this world is,_ he thought to himself. He suddenly was jealous of Link. Link had always lived in this world of life and magic, but until recently, Dark had only known the drabness of his room in the Water Temple. _Well, this is my world now,_ thought Dark. _And anyone who tries to shut me back up in that Goddess-forsaken Temple is going to suffer._

Presently, there appeared on the horizon a silhouette of a structure, and he knew it at once to be Lon Lon Ranch. He continued toward it, figuring that he could sell the horses for a few rupees. The entrance wasn't far, and he rode through, strait into the Ranch. Already the place was awake and bustling, with the cries of cuccos, the lowing of cows, and the stamping of restless horses waiting to be let out for their morning run. The strong smell of animals and hay assaulted Dark's senses as he dismounted and walked towards the farmhouse, leading the horses along by their reins. He opened the door to the house and peeked in, looking around to see if anyone was there. He saw nobody, and was about to close the door when he heard a voice behind him. "Hello. May I help you?" Dark turned, and saw that it was a red-haired girl in her late teens. Link had known her as Malon, the daughter of the owner of Lon Lon Ranch.

Malon's eyes widened in shock and horror. She gaped at him, unable to speak. _He looks so much like Link…_she thought. She remembered a story Link had told her once, about his trials in the Water Temple. The tale of his battle with Dark Link had haunted her in her dreams, and now here he stood before her, and those cold, blood-red eyes seamed to pierce her very soul.

Dark ignored her reaction, and gestured to the two nervous beasts behind him. "How much can I get for these horses?" he asked. "I won't be needing them any longer." Malon continued to stare at him, and he cleared his throat. "Are you ill?" he asked, rather impertinently.

Malon's father Talon came out of the stables at that moment, wiping his forehead.

"I've finished mucking the stables, Malon," he said. As he looked up, he saw the shadowy youth, and thinking quickly, he jumped in between Dark and Malon, brandishing his shovel menacingly. "Back off!" he cried, pointing the blade of the shovel at Dark's middle. "Stay behind me, Malon!" he said to his daughter. "I'll protect you!"

Dark gave Talon a hot glare that wilted the man's newly-found courage in an instant. "You needn't protect her from me," he said, feeling a little irritated. "I'm unarmed, and besides, you two aren't worth my time. I'll ask you again, though I dislike being ignored: How much will you pay for the horses? Including the tack, of course."

Talon didn't lower his shovel, but he allowed Malon to walk out from behind him and examine the horses, watching Dark the whole time. "500 rupees for the stallion, and 300 for the mare," said Malon, I little nervously. "These horses are in good condition. Where did you get them?" she added suspiciously.

"I stole them," said Dark, and her suspicions were confirmed. "They were being held by a group of thieves. I figured that those rowdy simpletons didn't deserve such fine steeds, so I relieved the horses of their unshaven owners." He smiled smugly to himself. "I'll sell. These horses won't be any use to me."

"Alright," said Malon slowly, unsure if she should be doing business with Dark. "If you'll just wait here, I'll be right back..." She went past Dark and into the house, and returned a moment later with a large bag of rupees. "Here," she said, and Dark accepted it readily, handing her the reins in his other hand.

All of a sudden, there was a crash from the stables. They all looked over as a frenzied whinny erupted from within the wooden structure, and the timbers shook under the hammering of hooves. "Darn that horse!" said Talon angrily, as he and Malon hurried into the stables. Dark followed behind, more out of curiosity than anything. The last stall in the stable was shaking violently, and as Talon unlatched the door, its occupant burst out of it and charged, nearly running the two ranch-keepers over. It headed strait for Dark, who didn't flinch.

As it reached him, it crashed to a halt, whinnying and snorting, pacing in front of Dark to find a way past him. Still, Dark didn't move. The black horse made eye contact with Dark, and froze. Dark could see that in its eyes, past the burning anger and fear, lay a deep suffering. Someone in the past had treated this horse with much abuse, and it showed. They stood there, staring into each other's souls, and then Dark slowly stretched out his hand and placed it on the horse's muzzle. In that moment, something happened. Through some unexplainable phenomenon, they at once understood each other's pain. Dark's long days in isolation and the horse's abuse gave them a bond. The horse calmed, and Dark gently stroked its neck, feeling the need to comfort it.

"Wow," breathed Malon, who was standing near the entrance to the stables, still holding the reins of the other two horses. Talon stared openly.

Dark looked around at the ranchers and saw them staring. He patted the horses muzzle and walked over to Talon, who flinched, expecting him to pull some hocus-pocus on him, too. But he simply said, "Where did that horse come from? He looks a bit familiar."

"We just found him wandering the Field one night," said Malon, and Dark looked around at her. "He was thin and sickly, so we took him in. He's never been very well behaved, but he's strong. He must have been bred a charger for someone powerful."

"I'll buy him, then," said Dark. "Just name your price."

"Take him for free," said Talon, eager to have them both gone. "Take him and go."

"Daddy!" said Malon to her father. She dropped the reins of the horses, who were too nervous to move, and walked over to her father. She pulled him aside and whispered intently, "Didn't you see what just happened? He couldn't have calmed that horse with an evil heart. Something has connected them, in some strange way. All beasts have pure hearts, and if he can win that horse's trust so easily, I think we can trust him as well." She moved towards the back of the stables and took a saddle and bridle down from a shelf nearby. "He was wearing these when we found him," she explained, crossing back over to Dark and holding them out. He accepted them and examined them closely. They were made of black leather, and traced with gold thread. Strange designs covered the surface of the saddle.

Dark looked back at the horse, who had made an odd noise, like a frightened wicker. Its ears were back, and its eyes were wide with fear as it backed away from the offensive objects. Dark turned back to Malon, who was observing the horse's reaction with a look of confusion, and said, "May I have a different saddle and bridle? Say, the one the other stallion was wearing? He seems to have some bad memories connected to these."

"Of course," said Malon. He took the tack off of the stallion Dark had just sold her and exchanged it for the tack that Dark held in his hands, then she showed him how to put it on. Dark nodded his thanks to Malon, and then lead his horse out of the stables, mounting it and riding away into Hyrule Field. Malon and her father watched him disappear over a small hill, and then Talon walked away, shaking his head and mumbling something about "Good riddance". Malon gazed out over the grassy expanse a while longer, a little sorry that Dark had to go, but unable to tell why.

Dark rode out over the Field on his new steed, who was just as happy to be out in the wild as he was. The horse galloped over the plains in powerful strides, and it was plain to see that this was indeed a horse breed for war; strong, fast, and fierce, with good endurance. They went along at their own pace, not fleeing robbers or captivity, just running for the sake of feeling the breeze in their faces.

They soon came upon a watering hole, and though Dark did not care for the sight of water, he stopped and dismounted, knowing a little couldn't kill him if he just sat near the edge while his horse had a drink. As he watched his horse splash in the shallows, a thought occurred to him. "I ought to name you, I suppose," he said, more to himself than the powerful beast in front of him. _But what kind of name would you give a horse?_ he thought. _I guess it should describe him in some way…_As he watched the horse, it occurred to him that its mane seemed to float on the air as it was tossed about, like a wisp of shadow. "Shadowmane…" he said to himself, to see if he liked the sound of it. "That sounds like a decent name." He fell back onto the grass, feeling the warmth of the sun on his face, and felt a sense of peace and satisfaction grow inside him. He sighed. It was good to be free.

And then a face entered his mind. It belonged to the only man who could take his new-found freedom away: Ganondorf. It interrupted his blissful state of happiness with a single ominous thought: Ganondorf was gone, but he may come back one day, even stronger than before, and make Dark return to being his minion once again. Dark could never go back to being Ganondorf's mindless slave, he knew that. He had a new start now, and he'd be damned if Ganondorf was going to take that away from him. Then and there, he resolved to find and kill Ganondorf, whatever it took.

To Be Continued

Thus ends chapter 2. Hope you liked it! Sorry it took me so long to get the second chapter up. I had issues with homework, among other things. Please review, I love hearing from the people who read my fics! And once again, thank you to all who have already reviewed my first chapter, you guys are so nice! I'm going to start chapter 3 first thing tomorrow, because I'm a little busy tonight. Thanks!


	3. Old Grudges

A little dramaticness in the first couple chapters, and still more to come, just to warn people. Lots of soul-searching and stuff, but it's all good. I highly recommend reading the first two chapters before this one (if you haven't already), since these stories are meant to be read consecutively. Anywho, as a refresher, Dark has just sworn to kill Ganondorf, 'cause he's kinda pissed. This is the official starting point of the actual adventure, so get ready! Ok, enough stalling. Here we go.

**Chapter 3: Old Grudges**

Dark sat up in the grass. Thinking about killing Ganondorf was one thing, but actually killing him was a different matter entirely. He didn't even know where his enemy was, but he'd have to find out before he started making any other plans. It shouldn't be too difficult to gather the information he needed, for though he considered Hylians to be simple, stupid folk (he'd obviously never met a human before), he knew that they were fond of gossip. If it had nothing to do with them, they would know all about it.

He looked around, and saw the entrance to Kakariko Village not far from where he was. He decided he would start there, since it was a quiet town, and rumors of his comings and goings would be less than in the Castle Town. He stood and mounted Shadowmane, then rode off North-West, pulling his hood up over his face so that the townsfolk wouldn't see his resemblance to Link and raise awkward questions. They would simply assume he was another faceless traveler among the hundred-some that came each year for trade or pleasure.

As he crossed the bridge and neared the castle, he saw someone walking down the stairs that lead up to the village. At first he took no notice of the figure (who did not see him anyway), but as he neared the stairs, he reined in Shadowmane to a halt. He recognized this person… the figure looked up from fiddling with something in his pack, and Dark felt like he was struck with a bolt of lightning as he saw the man's face; it was Link.

He knew at once why he hadn't recognized him at first. Link was dressed in the silver and red uniform of the Knights of Hyrule, which much befitted him. He no longer wore a shield, only shortsword at his hip which was standard issue for knights of his stature, and he too had abandoned his cap, but instead had his blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail like Dark.

As Dark's horse skidded to a sudden stop, Link gazed up at him suspiciously, not liking how he looked. "Morning," he said less-than-cheerfully, shifting his pack so that it hung (still open) from one arm, and letting his left hand come to rest casually on the hilt of his sword. "I don't remember seeing you around here before."

Dark swallowed hard, trying to loosen the knot in his throat. "I haven't ever been here before," said Dark, and it came out a little strangled-sounding. He gripped his reins a little tighter, not quite sure why he was so nervous.

"Huh," said Link, examining how Dark was dressed. "Where you from? Termina, perhaps?"

"I've lived in Hyrule all my life," said Dark. "I just never… got out much." He waved his hand vaguely, hoping to dismiss the issue. "I was never the social type."

Dark's voice was pretty much back to normal at this point, and Link recognized it. "I think I know you from somewhere. Have we met?"

"Oh, perhaps, a long time ago," said Dark, trying once again to avoid conversation. "I apologize, but I must be getting along, I have some important things to attend to…"

"Of course," said Link, "but I feel I must inform you of something about the customs of our country before you go. You see, around here it's rather impolite to wear your hood up around strangers. It gives the impression that you have something to hide." He said this last phrase in a hard tone, suggesting that those were his exact thoughts.

"I have nothing to hide," said Dark. He reached up hesitantly, than took hold of his hood and pulled it back from his face. He got the exact reaction that he'd been expecting: shock and terror, the same he'd gotten from every person he'd met face-to-face with during the past two days, only Link stared so blankly he looked a bit like a fish and a frog combined. Dark rolled his eyes. "There," he said irritably. "Happy?"

Link simply gaped at him for a minute or so, unable to form words from his scattered and frantic thoughts. "But, I…" he said finally, "you… you're supposed to be dead… I killed you myself, this year in an alternate time…"

Dark gave him a hard look. "You honestly think I don't know that?" he scoffed. "Look, I'm kind of busy at the moment. It was just _lovely_ seeing you again, but I have business to attend to. So if you'll let me pass…" he attempted to guide his horse past Link, who reacted quickly and moved to block them.

"I can't let you do that," said Link firmly. "I have sworn to protect the peoples of Hyrule, and letting you roam free would go against the code which I've sworn to."

"Why? All I want is to find some information, and then I'll leave. I'm not armed, and I don't have any 'magic powers'."(Dark made a sarcastic gesture with his hands that looked like someone casting a spell as he said this.) "What more assurance do you want from me?"

Link thought a moment, then said, "Hold out your hands." Dark stared at him, and then complied hesitantly, unsure of what he was thinking. Link pulled what looked like a long gold cord from his pack and bound Dark's hands together, and then he took hold of Shadowmane's reins, leading the horse over to a nearby tree where Link's own horse Epona was waiting patiently. Link leapt expertly into the saddle, and then started off, leading Dark and his horse towards the castle. Dark fumed at Link's behavior and tried to struggle his hands free, but to no avail. He was forced to simply sit back and let himself be led away from Kakariko and over the drawbridge into the Market.

Hyrule Castle town was teeming with life that afternoon. Haggling buyers bickered with traders over prices at every stall, and children ran around the square or threw stones in the fountain. Everywhere a "chink" of rupees exchanging hands was present as the rich folk of Hyrule went about business as usual, bartering or talking with old friends. A few people turned to stare at Link and Dark (especially Dark), but Link kept looking strait ahead, keeping on steadily towards the castle, which rose up from the northern horizon ahead of them. They left the Market behind and were traveling the wide, dusty road up to the gate, the first defense of the castle.

The guard standing watch on the road beside the gate recognized Link, and was about to give the order for the gate to be opened when he saw Dark. He looked from Dark to Link in confusion, saying, "Sir Link, what…?"

"Just open the gate," Link said impatiently. The guard gave Dark a quick, nervous glance, and then called up to the guard on top of the gatehouse, who opened the gate by turning a crank in the guardroom. The gate opened just enough to admit the two riders, then creaked shut as they rode through it. They continued up the road and across the drawbridge into the keep, ignoring the stares they received from guards they passed. They rode out onto the parade grounds and slowed to a stop as a small group of people walked out of the castle entrance: two figures who could only be Princess Zelda and her hand maiden Impa, as well as an escort of about six guards.

"Sir Link!" Zelda called, hurrying down the stairs in front of the entrance. Impa followed close behind and put a restraining hand on Zelda's shoulder, preventing her from getting too close to Dark.

"Well Princess," said Link, dismounting Epona, "you were right. He has come back." Zelda looked at Dark in wonder, and Impa narrowed her eyes at him, silently telling him to watch his step. Link turned to the guards and pointed at Dark. "Get him down," he said, and they obeyed, grabbing the shadowy youth roughly by his shirt and pulling him down from his horse.

He tried to pull away from them, put that only made them tighten their hold. "Hands off!" growled Dark. He disliked being touched, especially in this fashion, but still the guards ignored him. He glared at Link, who was talking with Zelda. He saw Impa looking at him, and gave her a spiteful look before looking away. He hadn't done anything. Why was he being treated like a common criminal?

"How did this happen?" Zelda asked Link, speaking in undertones so that Dark couldn't hear. "I thought you told me you killed him…"

"I did," said Link, "or at least I thought I did. I don't know what could have brought him back after all these years, especially when the other monsters I destroyed haven't come back."

"Well, whatever it was that happened, we need to do something about him," said Impa. "We can't let him walk free in Hyrule, not until we know what's going on, and perhaps not even then. I trust you can find a place for him, Sir Link?" Link nodded. "Very well. Come along, princess." She led Zelda back into the castle, and Link turned to the guards, who still had Dark in their grasp.

"Follow me," he said, walking over to a side entrance. He opened the heavy wooden doors, and their hinges creaked sharply from disuse. They all walked through and moved down a musty corridor into one of the lower levels of the castle. A few of the guards grabbed torches from their brackets along the way so that they could see in the dim passage. They soon reached rows of prison cells stretching for great distances, used mostly for prisoners in wartimes. Link stood before one close to the center of the row, and the guards opened the cell door and shoved Dark inside, then shut the door and locked it. "You'll be staying here until we figure out what to do with you," said Link, and he and the guards walked off towards the stairs that would bring them to the upper floors of the castle.

Dark sat on the floor of his cell, not much liking his accommodations. It was much smaller and mustier than his room in the Water Temple, and besides, he was sick of constantly being locked up. He lay down and closed his eyes, wondering if the Hero and the Princess were going to let him live or not.

That night, Link and Zelda sat in the castle library and discussed Dark's fate.

"Well," Zelda began, "I think that before we do anything, I should share some information with you that I think would be very useful." She took a book off of a large stack of texts next to her on the table and leafed through the pages, trying to find the one she was looking for. Link turned his head sideways so that he could read the titles of the books, but the leather coverings were stiff and tattered and the gold and silver letterings were worn out, and he had to squint to read them.

"Zelda… these are all books on black magic," he said with a concerned tone. "What gives?"

"I'm trying to find out about shadow spells," said Zelda, eyes skimming the page she was currently on. "Ever since the dream you had, I wanted to figure out what Dark Link was, so I started doing some research. I think I found it this morning, I just forgot to mark the page… ah, here we go." She tapped the page with her finger, own near the bottom. "'_Shadow__Entities'_." She proceeded to read the article as it was written. "'_Shadow_ _Entities_ _are creatures made of black magic and negative energy caused by the evil nature of a specific person. They are created by obtaining a drop or more of a person's blood, concocting a specific potion with the blood, and chanting an incantation. The Shadow Entity will take on the form of the donor of the blood but its appearance may vary from figures of black smoke to figures of solid darkness, depending on the ingredients in the potion and the potion's potency. A select few of the most advanced black magicians have been able to create an Entity that looks exactly like the donor, their only flaw being the red color of their eyes. Shadow Entities can be destroyed only by the death of the donor of the blood or the one who summoned it._'"

"So, the only way to kill him would be to kill me or Ganondorf?" asked Link.

"Sounds like it," replied Zelda. "Ganondorf must have gotten your blood off of one of his minions' weapons." She skimmed the page. "Here it just has some history of some evil sorcerers who first tried to find the correct formula for Shadow Entities, and then…" She read on. "Hmm, this is interesting… listen to this: '_A Shadow Entity can only injure or be injure by its counterpart or its master, unless one is to stand to stand in the way of its goal_'."

"That _is_ interesting, but what does it mean by 'goal'?"

"I suppose its goal is what it was summoned to do in the first place."

Link leaned back in his chair, and began to think out loud, speaking to himself. "In an alternate future, his purpose was to stop me from freeing the Sage of Water, and possibly to try and kill me. But he failed." He looked at Zelda. "Do you think he's come back to take revenge against me?"

"If he had, he wouldn't have let you take him to the castle, and he would be armed," Zelda pointed out. "I believe that he would have attacked you the moment he saw you if he was back to take revenge on you."

Link stared at the grains in the wood table for a moment, thinking. Then he said, "I think we should bring him up here."

Dark was escorted to the library by a couple guards, and he wondered what was going on. He'd only spent about five hours in the dungeon, and not the five-plus years he'd been expecting. As he walked through the doors of the library, the guards turned and left, closing the doors behind them. Link came forward and untied his hands, which were still bound by the gold cord. He was still a little wary, but he knew that he was the only one in immediate danger around Dark. "Please sit down," he said, gesturing to a chair placed on the side of the table opposite of Zelda. Dark gave him a scornful look, then went and sat in the chair provided for him. Link came and sat next to Zelda, who gave Dark her most polite smile, even though she was uncomfortable being around him.

"I apologize for keeping you locked up," Zelda began, "but we weren't sure if you were going to be a threat to us or not, us meaning the residents of the castle. However, as of now we have further analyzed the situation, and are perfectly willing to let you go free if you will just answer a few questions for us. Would you?"

Dark grunted. He was still angry about being tossed in a cell for no apparent reason, and was developing a dislike for Link all over again.

Zelda took the grunt as a 'Yes' and said, "Very well, first question: When exactly did you escape the Water Temple?"

Dark snorted. "'Escape'? I wouldn't call it 'escaping', myself. I walked out, yesterday afternoon."

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "Walked out?" she repeated.

"Well, yeah. You don't really expect there to be guards in a temple, do you?" Dark rolled his eyes. "Well there wasn't, just a bunch of unintelligent priests who never learned that it's rude to stare, especially when what you're staring at can rip out your throat with barely any effort."

"Oh, really?" said Link, acquiring a know-it-all attitude. "I heard from a very reliable source that you can only attack those standing in the way of your mission."

"That so?" said Dark, raising an eyebrow.

"Moving on to the next question," said Zelda quickly, shooting a glare at Link, who she believed was causing unnecessary conflict. "Link mentioned your goal, so let's talk about that. What _is_ your mission? Why have you come back?"

"Why have I come back?" echoed Dark. "As far as I can guess, I never left. As far as I know, my body remained in the Water Temple as my spirit slept in Limbo for seven years. You know what I'm talking about," he added to Link, who agreed despite himself. He had spent seven years in an alternate lifetime asleep in the Temple of Time, waiting for the day he would awaken and become the Hero of Time. "As for why," continued Dark, "I haven't a clue." Then he paused a moment to think. He wondered if he should tell them of his plan to take revenge on Ganondorf, but he wasn't sure what their reaction would be.

"Ok," said Zelda, assuming he was done, "one last question. If we let you go, what do you plan to do?"

That decided him, and he chanced it: "Where is Ganondorf?"

"Why?" asked Link. "Do you want to try and beg his forgiveness in order to rise among his ranks and help him lead an army of undead soldiers against the army of Hyrule?" He smiled at Dark in a nasty, mocking way.

Dark glared hotly at Link, and a snarl curled the corner of his mouth. "Never again will I be a nameless minion of that spineless, narcissistic imbecile!" he growled, spitting out every word through clenched teeth. "It is true that he gave me form and meaning and that, indeed, I owe him my very existence, but he owes me much more. He owes me every day wasted waiting in the same room, wondering what the outside world was like. He owes me the years I lost sleeping in the Water Temple, years that I will not ever be able to get back because I don't have a magic sword to put in a rock." (He aimed this comment directly at Link, and needless to say, it was not appreciated.) "I would much prefer to not exist than to have spent all of my existence in one room, knowing nothing save solitude and the sole purpose of being someone's puppet. Excuse me for being a little pissed about not being anything more than the shadow of the man I was created to kill." Dark sat back in his chair and crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking away to examine a tapestry on a wall to his right. He was surprise at how good it felt to get that all off his chest.

Zelda and Link looked at him in shock, not previously having any idea of what he'd been going through. They simply hadn't given it a thought, assuming that he didn't have feelings or opinions, which is all too common of an opinion of villains, I'm sad to say. They turned away from Dark so that they could talk in private.

"Well, I'm convinced," said Link. "Either he's really ticked off at Ganondorf, or he's the best actor in all of Hyrule."

"I have to agree," said Zelda. "We should probably tell him about Ganondorf, though. He has a right to know, I think."

They turned back around, and Zelda cleared her throat, calling for his attention. Dark looked around at her, and she gave him her polite smile once again. "We have decided to answer your question about Ganondorf's whereabouts," she began. "Ganondorf was defeated and sealed into the Sacred Realm by the six sages, Link, and I. His dark powers transformed it into the Dark World, and there he will stay, hopefully until the end of time." As Dark listened to her words, his face fell, and any hope he had for getting his revenge against Ganondorf was crushed. "Anyways," Zelda continued, convinced that Dark was no longer in league with Ganondorf, "you have answered all of my questions, so you have my permission to go freely about Hyrule as you please. Because you are only an immediate danger to Link, you are allowed to go anywhere you will be accepted in Hyrule. However, if we receive word that you are causing even the slightest bit of trouble anywhere, you will be returned to our dungeon. Link, will you see him to the front gate?"

Dark quickly rose from his chair and said, "No thanks. I can find my own way out." He turned and left the room, and the other two watched him go with a mixture of apprehension and relief, letting out heavy sighs as soon as he was gone and silently agreeing that it was time to turn in for the day.

Dark made his way out of the castle, passing guards without a word. Descending the stairs to the stable yard, he saw Shadowmane standing off in a corner by himself (apparently the stable hands hadn't been able to get the horse to cooperate, and so they let him alone). Dark whistled, and the horse trotted over, happy to see his master. Dark stroked his horse's silken muzzle, saying softly, "Come on, boy. I have a plan, and I might need your help." He climbed up into the saddle and rode of into the night, hoping never to see the castle again.


	4. The Journey Begins

Dark rode into the Castle Town as its residents slept peacefully, oblivious to the fact that he was up and about in their own beloved town square. He dismounted and sat on the wall of the fountain in the middle of the square, closing his eyes and searching his mind for memories. They weren't his memories, they were the memories he shared with Link. They were mostly bad memories, but some of them would provide Dark with the information he desired. He could remember as far back as Link could at the time they met in the Water Temple, and he could remember their encounter, but beyond that, they were solely his own memories of the past two days.

He wasn't interested in those memories, however, but instead searched farther back, concentrating on the events surrounding the three Spiritual Stones. In his mind, Dark replayed Link's earlier journeys as a child; his quest to lift the curse from the Great Deku Tree, Guardian spirit of the Forest; his adventures in Dodongo's Cavern where he sought to defeat the King Dodongo and help the starving Gorons; and his trials in the belly of Lord Jabu-Jabu, the patron deity of the Zoras. He saw the finding of the Ocarina of Time, and the process by which the Door of Time was opened. Dark's eyes opened. He had the answers he needed.

Leaving his horse to drink at the fountain, Dark walked through the square and up the stairs that led to the Temple of Time. He crossed the parched grass of the Courtyard and entered through the enormous stone doors, which were always open in case there was a citizen that wished to repent of an ill deed, or pray to the Goddesses for any other reason. The place was huge and empty, and Dark's footsteps echoed ominously off the stone walls as he made his way towards the altar where the Spiritual Stones should be. He felt that something was amiss, and hurried forward, but when he got to the altar, all it held where three fist-sized indentations and an inscription that read:

_Ye who owns three Spiritual Stones_

_Stand with the Ocarina of Time_

_And play the Song of Time_

The Stones were gone. Dark slammed his fist on the altar in frustration. Now he had to go find them and bring them back, not to mention that he had to figure out a way to get the Ocarina of Time. With a heavy sigh, he sat down on the floor with his back against the altar, suddenly exhausted. It was new feeling for him. He wasn't used to days that were emotionally or physically tiring, or going without sleep for extended periods of time. He assumed a position that was comfortable for him, with his knees to his chest, his arms on his knees, and his head on his arms, and dozed off, with the soft chanting of the spirits of the Temple resonating in his ears.

He woke up in that position the next morning. He lifted his head, and blinked rapidly as the light pouring in through the open doors made his eyes smart. He got up and stretched, cracking his neck, then shuffled out of the Temple, quieted by the peacefulness of the place and by a good night's sleep. He found Shadowmane grazing the dewed grass, and rode off out of the Market and over the drawbridge onto Hyrule Field. It was a crisp, cool morning, and the feel of it invigorated Dark as he guided his horse towards the Southeast, seeking the entrance to the Forest.

He found it without much difficulty, a long tunnel stretching back into darkness with a few tall trees in front. Dark urged his horse toward it, but Shadowmane didn't like the looks of the place and wouldn't go near it, so he was force to continue on foot. He walked through the tunnel, and bits of fairy dust began to drift in the air around him as he stepped out onto a plank bridge that spanned a short drop in the forest floor. He crossed it, but instead of continuing into the second tunnel on the other side, the ghost of a memory drifted across his mind, and he turned and looked back.

By some trick of light or magic, the memory was replayed in from of him. He saw a young Link walk past him onto the bridge, and almost reach the other side before a young-looking girl appeared as if from nowhere and called out his name. Link stopped and turned, then walked back to her. They talked for a short time, and then she gave him something. After giving her his most winning smile, young Link turned and left, eager to face his destiny, and she looked after him sadly, knowing it was his destiny to leave the forest, but wishing it wasn't. The vision of the girl slowly faded back into the shadows, and Dark turned away, passing into the second tunnel.

The Kokiri Forest was still asleep, since the leaves of the trees blocked out most of the light of the early morning. The giant shapes of the tree houses lurked darkly in the dim light, and Dark passed through the village unseen and unheard, a shadow among shadows. He made his way stealthily into the glade of the Great Deku Tree, and nothing resisted his passing. He stood in the shadow of the Tree itself, staring up at the lifeless giant. _So this is this former guardian of the Forest_, he thought.

The feeling of peace that had wrapped itself around Dark was rent by a voice in his head that sounded like something halfway between a flute and oboe. "Who is the caster of the shadow that has entered this sacred place?" Dark turned to see a much smaller, greener tree not far from where he stood. "Hello," said the Deku Sprout. "You come for the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, do you not?"

"That's why I'm here," confirmed Dark.

"You will not find it here," said the Deku Sprout. "It is being guarded by one whose eyes can see into the soul of every being, one who is worthy to judge the hearts of the living. If your heart is good and your intentions are pure, he will grant you the Stone. Look for him at the Forest Temple."

Dark bowed slightly, a gesture of thanks and respect towards this being of older and greater magic, and then walked out of the glade. He made his way to the entrance of the Lost Woods using knowledge he'd gained from Link, and after successfully navigating the Woods and the hedge maze of the Sacred Forest Meadow, he climbed the stairs to the Temple.

As he reached the clearing, Dark stood on the disk that had the symbol of the Triforce engraved on it and looked around. He saw only the entrance to the Temple with the broken stairs, two large trees whose limbs reached out over the landing in front of the entrance, and the trees surrounding the clearing. He sensed movement at his back, and spun around, but saw only the long flight of stairs heading back towards the Woods. He turned back around warily, and then looked up as he heard a voice call out to him. "Hey, you! You, down there!" It was a large, ancient-looking owl, looking down at him from one of the giant trees.

_He wasn't there before…_ thought Dark. "Who are you?" he said aloud.

"My name is Kaepora Gaebora," said the owl. "Who are _you_?"

"I am called Dark," said the youth, crossing his arms. It didn't occur to him that this might be the person he was looking for, and that he should probably be more respectful.

"Dark _Link_?" finished the owl, knowing who he really was.

Dark bristled at the name. "I am my own person. I'm not anyone's shadow."

"And yet you are so like him, not just in looks. You too seek the Spiritual Stones as he once did, only his intentions were nobler."

"Then are you person of who the Deku Sprout spoke? You have the Spiritual Stone of the Forest?"

"I am, and I do."

"And you will not give it to me?"

"In your heart I see hatred and a craving for vengeance, and it consumes all else. If you show me that you are worthy of the task in front of you, I will aid you in it."

"How do I prove myself?"

"The other two Stones, the Goron's Ruby and the Zora's Sapphire, are both guarded by strong warriors who will not give their stone over to someone they do not trust. Obtain the Stones of Fire and Water, and bring them here to me. Then I will give you the Kokiri Emerald."

Dark bowed slightly once again, then turned and left the glade. He made his way back to the bridge and walked into Hyrule Field. His horse looked up from sniffing a tuft of grass and trotted over to him, happy to see that his master was back. Dark patted the horse's muzzle, feeling a little annoyed. He hadn't intended to be heading off on some huge journey, he just wanted to find Ganondorf and kill him. Who knew it would be this difficult? He sighed, then climbed up into the saddle and made off towards Death Mountain, which he decided would be his first destination.

As a child, Link had received the Spiritual Stone of Fire from Darunia, leader of the Gorons. To get to Death Mountain where the Gorons lived, Dark had to pass through Kakariko Village, and that would mean more staring. So he pulled his hood up over his head once again, even though the day promised to be unusually warm.

As Dark reached the entrance to Kakariko Village, the guard standing there eyed him suspiciously, but let him pass. Dark rode through the village, heading strait for the mountain path, not wasting time or sparing anyone a passing glance. When he reached the gate that lead to the Mountain Path, the guard standing there stopped him. "Halt!" he said, slamming the butt of his spear on the ground. He glared at Dark. "What business do you have on Death Mountain?"

"Whatever business I have is mine and mine alone," said Dark in a threatening tone, impatient at being stopped. "I am permitted to go where I please throughout Hyrule by the Princess herself. Now let me pass."

The guard sputtered, making a face of indignation at being talked down to. Dark smiled mockingly at him from under his hood, then urged his horse forward up the trail, leaving the guard to glare after him as he disappeared around a bend in the path.

It was early afternoon when he finally reached Goron City. He immediately noticed a change as he neared the entrance, most noticeably were the guards standing out on the path to block the way into the city. They wore large helmets and heavy plate armor on their arms and chests, and wielded pikes with thick shafts and heavy tips. As Dark rode up, they crossed their weapons over the entrance, blocking him from entering. "State your name and business!" one of them barked, his voice slightly muffled by his helmet.

"I am called Dark, and I wish to be granted audience with your leader," Dark said, not lowering his hood. The Gorons exchanged looks, and Dark figured that they didn't understand. He leaned in closer and said quite clearly, "I would like to speak to Darunia."

"We know what you meant," growled one of the guards, gripping his pike tighter. He leaned over to his companion and had a brief, whispered conference with him, and then he straitened up and whistled. Another Goron ran up from his post just inside the City, and after the guard whispered something to him, he hurried off. "We have sent for Darunia," explained the guard. "You must wait here."

A few moments later, a great rumbling noise was heard, and the Chief of the Gorons stomped into sight. He looked angry at having to come all the way up there from his room, and he scowled at Dark. "What do you want?" he bellowed, and his voice rang off the mountain like thunder.

"I wish to speak with you," said Dark

"Then speak now or go away!" Darunia replied.

"In private. The subject of my request is one that is not the business of anyone aside from you and I." He nodded towards the guards

Darunia grunted, untrusting. He saw that Dark was unarmed, however, and relented. "Fine," he rumbled. "But you can't bring that in here!" He pointed at Shadowmane, and Dark dismounted. "And take off your hood," the Goron leader added. "I want to see your face."

Dark moved to obey, but paused. He didn't think that would be such a good idea, remembering Link's reaction.

"If you have something to hide, we've got nothing to talk about," Darunia growled.

Dark rolled his eyes and lowered his hood. The Gorons gasped to see someone who looked like their hero Link, only much different. Darunia's eyes blazed, and he roared, "What devilry is this?"

"I have done nothing to invoke the wrath of the Gorons," said Dark, holding out his hand in a gesture of peace. "If my looks are a fault, they are not mine. I never choose to look like this."

Darunia fumed. As far as he was concerned, this guy could be Ganondorf himself. But he had agreed to see him and speak with him, so he waved the guards away and walked away from the entrance to the city, beckoning for Dark to follow. They walked to a place that was secluded from the main mountain path and had an excellent view of Dodongo's Cavern. Darunia sat on a shelf of rock that stuck out from the rest of the mountainside, turning to face Dark. "What do you want?" he asked impatiently. "Make it quick."

Dark paused a moment, choosing the right words to use, then said, "I wish to obtain the Spiritual Stone of Fire."

Darunia's eyes bulged for a moment, and then he burst out laughing. "You… you want me to give the Goron's Ruby?" he said through his laughter. "Just give it to you without a single thought? Are you nuts!" He stopped laughing and wiped his eyes, which had started to water. "You may look like Brother Link, but I'm not so old that I can't see the difference between you two. He earned our respect and our friendship. You are a complete stranger to us."

"I will do whatever is required of me to earn the Stone," said Dark resolutely.

"'Whatever'?" echoed Darunia, leaning forward a little in his interest. "Well then. You must be pretty desperate. Too bad Brother Link already got rid of those Dodongos, eh?" Darunia sat back, thinking. "Anything… hmph. I can't think of anything good right now." He got up and headed for the entrance. "Come back at sunset. I should have a task for you then." He disappeared into the city and left Dark standing there, annoyed. More waiting! Why was everyone so keen on making him wait?

He walked over and sat on a boulder next to his horse. He stroked it fondly, glad to have one friend in a cold, distrustful world. Everyone he'd met had been unkind towards him. Except for one person… He remembered Malon, the red-haired girl from the ranch, and her face entered his mind, trustful and kind. He felt a warmth in his chest, and a small smile crept onto his face. Maybe she would be his friend.

Suddenly, he was eager to see her again. He looked at his horse. "How about it?" he asked. "Would you like to see that lady at the Ranch again?" Shadowmane whickered, and taking that as a "yes", Dark swung himself up into the saddle and headed off down the mountainside, excited about something for the first time in his life.

To Be Continued


	5. Trial by Fire A Test of Wit

Dum dum dum… chapter 5! Firstly, I just want to thank everyone who reviewed the past four chapters, you were all so nice and encouraging. And Steeple333, I found your comment on fighting Dark Link highly interesting. I'd heard of the Din's Fire method, but not the Megaton Hammer one. I put the spin attack method in mine because that's what the guidebook hints at… yes, I have a guidebook for Ocarina of Time. --' I check it religiously to make sure I've got everything correct. Call me a geek, I can take it! Anyways… hope you like this chapter as much as you liked the others!

**Chapter 5: Trial by Fire – A Test of Wit**

At the hottest part of the day, Dark was seated on the wall of Lon Lon Ranch, watching his horse running with the others in the corral, a soft wind blowing through his hair and playing with his cloak. The birds sang and darted in the air, and Shadowmane rushed at the cuccos, making them scatter in all different directions, clucking in panic. Dark allowed himself a small smile at this, amused at the antics of his horse. It made him glad to see a creature that was so tormented acting like a normal horse and moving in and out amongst its fellows.

Presently, Malon walked into the corral, carrying a bucket of chicken feed. She sang sweetly as she tossed some feed to the cuccos, who swarmed over and began to peck at it with lightning speed. All of the horses heard her song and galloped over to her, nuzzling her and butting her as if to say, "Got anything for me?" She laughed and fished a handful of sugar cubes out of her pocket, passing them out amongst the horses. Shadowmane pushed his silky black head in front of the others, and Malon fed him a sugar cube. "Hey," she said. "I recognize you! You came back! And you're being such a good boy!" she added, speaking to him like a mother would her baby. "But, where's your master?" she asked, looking past him, but she didn't see anyone in the corral.

Dark saw her looking around and was suddenly apprehensive. He searched for a hiding spot, not wanting her to see him, but unable to explain why. He saw nowhere to hide, and was considering ducking over the other side of the wall and running away over Hyrule Field as fast as he could, but Malon spotted him. "Hi!" she called cheerfully. He froze as she ran over, a lump forming in his throat. "I was hoping you'd come back," she said when she reached him. "I wanted to apologize, for my father and myself. We judged you too soon. We've had trouble with strangers before." She looked up at him and smiled warmly, waiting for a reply, but Dark couldn't find the words to say. He felt awkward and wanted to disappear.

Finally, he cleared his throat and said, "Well, it's… fine, really. I, um, I get that a lot." Malon laughed, making it seem like it wasn't a big deal, but Dark could tell she'd figured as much.

"Your horse is really nice now," said Malon, eager to change the subject. "I'm glad he found an affectionate owner."

"Oh, well, I…" said Dark, feeling his face grow hot, "I mean, he's been through stuff, and I…" He stopped and stared at his feet, feeling like an idiot.

"…And you wanted to help him," finished Malon. "I think that's really sweet." Dark looked up to see her gazing at him thoughtfully, her eyes twinkling. She knew. He had a gut-deep feeling that she knew he liked her. He smiled, and laughed nervously.

"Um, thanks," said Dark, feeling like a fool. He was amazed at how his demeanor had changed. He usually knew just what to say in any situation, and now here he was, babbling like a simpleton, caught off his guard by a girl.

They spent the rest of the afternoon together, riding around Hyrule Field and resting near the water hole together. Dark didn't have much to talk about, so he let Malon talk all she wanted. She talked about life at the Ranch, about gossip she'd heard in town when she went to deliver the milk, and anything else that was on her mind. She was happy to have someone around who was such a good listener, and Dark was happy to have a friend.

When the sun began to set, Dark remembered the task in front of him, but was reluctant to leave. He and Malon were resting on a wall in Hyrule Field, watching the sun set behind the expanse of red rock that was Gerudo Valley. The sky was painted in vibrant yellows and oranges, and the clouds were tinted pink, but Dark felt his task nagging at him, and couldn't truly appreciate the beauty of it all. He sighed and stood, saying, "I have to go." He whistled for Shadowmane, and then turned to Malon. "Thank you for today," he said to her. "I've never spent time with anyone as nice as you before."

Malon stood as well. "I like it too. You aren't nearly as scary as you look." They stood there for a moment, gazing into each others eyes, and then they embraced. Dark felt a feeling that he'd never felt before. It grew inside him, expanding to fill the old emptiness in his heart that was so familiar to him he'd forgotten it was there. He felt so light, he thought he was going to float up off the ground at any moment. His eyes stung, and as they pulled away at the same time, he felt a tear run down his cheek. He blinked rapidly to force the tears back, then uttered a small "Goodbye," and mounted Shadowmane, who was standing patiently beside him. He urged the horse on, and it leapt forward, and Dark looked back and waved as Malon shrank into the distance. They headed off towards Death Mountain at a gallop, and Dark's spirits were soaring higher than the clouds.

Malon watched him go with a twang of regret. He was so different from the day the first met. She guessed that he and Shadowmane had been good for each other. Malon knew how it was to be lonely. Her mother had died of illness when she was very little, and her father was nice, but he was her father, not her friend. As for Ingo… he was hard to talk to in any mood. She'd never had any siblings, and the only Hylian friend she'd had before was Link, but he was kept busy up at the castle. She was glad that she and Dark could be friends.

Dark reached Goron City just as the sun set fully below the horizon. Darunia was standing at the entrance to the city, along with the two guards, and he had a nasty look on his face. "So, you're here," said the Goron leader. "I was hoping you wouldn't show."

"I am ready to face the task you have planned for me," said Dark. Darunia could sense a change in him. His eyes didn't seem to be quite as cold or as red, and there seemed to be a faint glow coming off him. Darunia grunted. _Whatever,_ he thought.

He started up the mountain, saying, "Follow me," over his shoulder. Dark obeyed, leaving his horse standing at the entrance to Goron City. The mountain air was full of ash and the smell of brimstone from a recent minor eruption, and it was a bit of a hike to get all the way up the mountain trail. After trekking up steep slopes and climbing crumbling rock walls, they reached the entrance to the Death Mountain Crater. Dark was growing uncomfortable with the heat, but Darunia's thick skin protected him, and he walked into the crater without hesitation, leaving Dark to follow with a little difficulty.

The crater was halfway full of lava, and the ruins of some ancient structure were scattered on boulders and plateaus of rock inside it, probably build by some of the earliest Gorons. In the middle of the crater sat two giant cinder cones, which belched black smoke into the air and filled it with the stench of sulfur and brimstone. Darunia looked back at Dark, amused at his sensitivity to the heat. He gave him a nasty, crafty smile, and pointed to the cinder cone on the right. "See that funny black shape on the top of that cinder cone?" He asked. "That's the nest of the Firebird, a beast that only came to Hyrule just recently. There's an egg in that nest, about as big as my fist or your head. Bring me that egg and the stone is yours."

They were level with the nest, and Dark couldn't see the egg. "That's all?" he asked, and he found that his voice was a little strained in the sweltering heat.

"What do you mean that's all?" asked Darunia. "You think it will just be a walk in the park to find a way up there in the first place, and then get the egg down without getting killed by the Firebird? I wouldn't be so confident if I were you; in fact, I'd give my life a good thinking-over before throwing it away so stupidly."

Dark gave him a spiteful look, but he knew the Goron was right. He could tell just by looking that the task would have been easier had he entered the crater through Goron City, but there was no way that Darunia would have allowed that. He'd just have to make due. The ground shook beneath him as Darunia sat down heavily, convinced that this would take a while. Dark ignored him and summed up the situation.

From where he stood, he could only go one direction: there was a plank to his right that lead up to a seemingly dead end, and that was no good, since he wanted to go left. He needed to move the plank, but there was no way he'd be able to do it with his hands alone. He took off his pack and searched through it, hoping to find something of use inside. He found his bag of rupees (which weren't any use to him at the moment), his hat, and one other thing: it was a large metal hook, like the kind a butcher would use to hang meat, and tied to that was a very long rope, slender but strong. Dark looked it over, confused as to how it got in his pack in the first place, and then realized that it was perfect for what he had to do.

He stood and shed his cloak, which was entirely unnecessary and would only get in his way, and tossed it to one side. He moved towards the edge of the platform and ran up the long plank, stopping at the top to lodge the tip of the hook in the soft wood. He walked back down the plank, trailing the rope out behind him, until he stood at the bottom. He got a firm grip on the rope, and then began to pull with all his might. The plank began to skid forward, so he put his foot in front of it. Soon, the other end of the plank began to rise, and Dark pulled harder, straining his muscles to their limit. The plank reached a ninety degree angle to the ground, and Dark gave it a last tug, and then moved out of the way as it fell with a crash.

Dark pulled the hook out of the plank and coiled the rope around his arm. He was certain that it would soon come of use. He then ran over and grabbed the other side of the plank and pushed it to wear there was a smaller ledge sticking out from the ledge he was standing on. The plank fell to the lower ledge, and Dark very carefully pushed up on the plank so that it once again came to be at a ninety- degree angle to the ground. With a final push, the plank fell, landing on the edge of the ledge Dark needed to get to. It skidded back a bit, then became still.

Dark looked back at Darunia, who was laughing softly. "Too bad you're not a Goron, eh?" said Darunia. "Otherwise, you could've just picked the thing up and carried it over there from the start!" Dark was not amused. He scowled at the Goron leader, then went down to the lower ledge and started up the plank, being careful to look strait ahead. He didn't particularly mind heights; he was just uncomfortable with the idea of falling from an old, rotting plank into a pool of lava. Which is reasonable.

He reached his destination without much trouble, and then headed down a rock slope to a broken bridge. Link had conquered it easily with his hookshot, but Dark would have to make due with his new gadget instead.

Letting out a length of rope at the hook end, he held it above his head and began to swing it around in a circle. At just the right moment, he let go, and the hook soared through the air and curled around a wooden beam that was suspended over the bridge. Dark gave it a quick tug to make sure it was secure, and he took a deep breath and jumped. He soared toward the lava, but just when he thought he'd fall into it, the rope went taught, and he found himself slowly swinging back and forth below the bridge, clinging to the rope for dear life. He climbed the rope, hand over hand, until he reached the bridge, then he clambered onto it. He stood and looked up at the hook wrapped around the beam, wondering how to get it back, and gave it a sharp tug, as if to get it down by force. This was the last straw for the beam, and it snapped off and crashed onto the bridge, giving Dark almost no time to jump out of the way. _I guess that worked,_ he thought as he untied the rope. He coiled it round his arm, then turned and walked towards the cinder cones, feeling a bit shaky.

He passed a Triforce disk like the one in front of the Forest Temple. _That must be the Fire Temple,_ thought Dark, looking at an opening that was carved into the side of the cater and seemed to drop down after a few feet. _At least I don't have to go in there._ He walkedover to the side of the cinder cone and examined it. It was rough, but it was steep and gravelly. Not exactly ideal for climbing with his feet and hands alone. So he used his gadget to hook the mouth of the cinder cone, then wrapped the rope about his own waist and used it aid him in his climbing.

After a tough climb over scorched rock and crumbling debris, Dark neared the nest of the Firebird. He clung to the side and pulled himself up, and there was the egg, a bright orange oval in the middle of a bed of feathers that all shone with the colors of flame. Black smoke filtered through the rocks, making his eyes sting, but he climbed in anyway, eager to get his challenge over with.

He walked up to the egg and laid his hand on it to pick it up, but pulled away quickly with a gasp of pain. The egg was as hot as a live coal. Dark's mind raced, trying to think of something he could use to pick it up. He searched in his pack, seeing how that had worked before, and found that his hat was still in there. He stuck his hand in and pulled it out, and suddenly he lost all feeling in the part of his hand that touched it. Not only could he not feel the heat of the crater, he could not feel the hat. If you had poked his hand through the hat, he wouldn't have felt it, for the hat was made of shadow, and shadows do not feel.

Dark turned the hat inside out so that it made a sort of protective glove, and then touched the egg with his hand in his hat. He could not feel the warmth of the egg, nor could he feel the egg itself, but he knew it was still there. Dark turned the hat right side out over the egg, careful not to touch it, and then picked up his hat with the egg inside. The hat had a large egg-shaped bulge in it, but it was incredibly light. Dark tied off the open end of his hat so that the egg wouldn't roll out and burn him to death, and then stuck it in his pack.

Presently, he heard a screech that made his blood run cold, and looking up, he saw what looked like a flying ball of fire hurtling towards him. He bolted over the side of the nest as the Firebird came out of its dive, snatching at empty air, and realized too late he'd jumped out the wrong side. As he slid down the cider cone, he saw that there was no rock below him, only lava. Opposite him was the rock ledge that Darunia was seated on. Dark hefted his hook and swung it above his head. He was going to have to clear the gap.

As Dark reached the edge of the cone, he jumped, and at the highest point in his jump, he let go of the rope. The hook caught on the edge of Darunia's platform, and Dark's stomach dropped to his feet as he swung across a sea of lava towards a wall of solid rock, hopefully headed for the small opening in the wall, and not the wall itself. His eyes were squeezed shut as he neared the wall, bracing himself for a collision, but it never came. He soared through the opening in the wall and rolled until he hit the back of the shallow cave, and lay there dazed for a moment, wondering how he could possibly still be alive.

The Firebird screeched and flew at the opening, trying to get at him with its beak. He rolled out of the way as it repeatedly attacked him, and then he finally gave it a hard kick and it flew back, stunned. He ran for the opening and jumped at the rope (which was still hanging from the cliff), grabbed it, and swung out away from the wall until gravity pulled him back toward it. He bumped into the wall to the right of the hole and latched on to it, one hand keeping him up while the other held onto the rope. He began to climb, and the Firebird lashed out at him, having regained its senses. He barely dodged it by jumping away to the left, and proceeded to climb with his hands and at the same time jump back and forth over the wall to dodge the Firebird's attacks.

After much toil he made it to the top and pulled himself onto the ledge, pulling his hook out of the rock in the same movement. He dashed towards the exit, and Darunia was right behind him. They charged out of the entrance and onto the mountain path, ducking to either side of the opening as a fiery blast scorched the air, sent their way by the Firebird by its great flapping wings. The bird soon gave up and went away, and Dark, feeling exhausted, fell against the rock of the outside of the crater, then sank into a sitting position. He breathed a deep sigh, and then fought back the urge to vomit.

Suddenly, Darunia began to laugh uproariously, and Dark turned his gaze to stare incredulously at him. What in Hyrule could be so funny? Darunia saw him looking and said, "What a RUSH, eh? I've never run that hard in my LIFE!" He began to laugh harder, then calmed himself and said, "Whew. That was really somethin' back there, kid. I've never seen anyone pull off the kind of moves you just did. That gadget of yours is really somethin' too. You should have that thing patented. You'd be rich!"

Dark nodded, still feeling a little sick.

"Anyway," said Darunia, walking over to Dark, "you still got that egg?"

Dark sat up and reached into his pack. He pulled out the hat with the egg inside, glad to see that it wasn't broken. He untied the hat and opened the brim, showing Darunia that it was still there. He wasn't sure he had strength left to speak.

"Well, take it out and give it to me," said Darunia. Dark gave him a blank stare. After all that, the Goron still wasn't satisfied? He wanted Dark to burn his hands off and give it to him? But Dark was to tired to resist. He struggled to his feet, and then stared at the egg in his open hood. He made a face, but put in a hand and pulled it out.

But this time, it didn't burn his fingers. This time, it shook so hard he dropped his hat and had to hold it with both hands. Cracks began to form in the shell, and they were pierced with golden light. Finally, the shell burst into hundreds of pieces, and Dark saw that the object in his hand was no egg; it was the Goron's Ruby, the Spiritual Stone of Fire.

"There you are," said Darunia, beaming despite himself. "You got the egg, and because you were worthy of the prize, it turned back into the Goron's Ruby." Dark detected a hint of respect in his voice, and in his eyes, the same softness as Malon's: trust. Dark looked at the stone in his hand. It was the size of his palm, a blood-red ruby encased in a two-prong-shaped piece of gold. It was the same shape as the tattoo on Darunia's arm.

Dark felt a sudden sense of pride swell up in his chest, pride for all he'd accomplished. He'd used his brain, outwitted the Firebird, and won the trust of a very untrusting person, all in one day. Not to mention that he'd gotten the Spiritual Stone of Fire. He bowed low to Darunia, saying, "Thank you," then turned and passed out.

To Be Continued

Poor Dark, he just passes out he's so tired. I bet a lot of you wanted Dark to kiss Malon in stead of just hugging her, huh? Well, I'll explain myself: I thought it would be awfully bold for them to kiss the day they get to know each other, especially since they'd only been hanging out for a few hours. Also, Malon was freaked out by him only the day before, so it wouldn't really have made sense. Anyway, yeah, just wanted to clear that up.

Keep reviewing!


	6. Duel in the Royal Tomb A Test of Streng...

Hey Dark fans! Another chapter is here! But first, it's time to reply to reviews! Yay!

Ok, firstly, thanks again for all the positive comments. They make me smile! But, more specifically, to answer Ranma Hibiki's questions: 1) no, he doesn't have an ocarina, because if you remember in the game Link got two ocarinas, one form Saria as a gift and the Ocarina of Time from Zelda. Dark didn't receive one from anyone, and it doesn't seem very likely that he'd have every piece of equipment Link does. Funny you should ask about ocarinas, though… (smiles secretively) Read on to see what I mean! 2) The grappling hook will be explained in this very chapter, fear not!

Steeple333: I'm making his eyes become less red for a very important reason. I think they look cool that way too, but it works, you'll see! Also, the talking thing _is_ very nice, but I'd prefer if you e-mailed me to chat.

Onii-Gil: I'm so glad you like my story so much! That gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. : D

PsychoSpiff: Yes, I believe that you will like _that_ test! But that will be in the next chapter, and not this one. This one is a little twist of my own design… read on to see what I mean!

Anyway, moving on! On with the story!

**Chapter 6: Duel in the Royal Tomb – A Test of Strength**

_Dark dreamt that he was standing in a small, unfurnished room made entirely of white stone. There was a glow that seemed to come from everywhere at once, and it filled the room with light. As his eyes adjusted to the glare, he saw that he was not alone. There was another figure in the room with him, a woman who seemed to be surging with magic. A sort of green energy pulsed in the air about her, giving off its own glow to add to that of the room. It shined so bright that Dark could barely see the figure herself. "Hello," she said, and her voice was calm and zephyr-like. "I am Farore, the goddess of Courage. I already know who you are." She smiled, and whatever fear that Dark felt upon first seeing her melted away. _

"_What is this place?" he asked, looking around. He saw only white walls, and nothing else._

"_This is simply a place in your subconscious mind," said Farore. "A place that lies deep in your soul. You have visited this place before, but knew it not. You have been through many trials, but you still have much to learn. _

"_However, this is not the reason that I stand before you. Tell me, what is the aim of your quest?"_

"_You do not know?" asked Dark. "I seek the Spiritual Stones so that I may open the way into the Dark World and defeat Ganondorf."_

"_Are you sure that is your goal?" she asked him, and something in her tone suggested that she did not believe that it was. "Think hard on that before you declare it so. That is what I have come to say." She turned, as if to leave the place, but turned back. "By the way, if you were wondering, I was the one who gave you the strange artifact. I slipped it into your pack while you slept in the Temple of Time, because I knew it would be of some use to you. I would have given you something more sophisticated, but my sister Nayru said that we weren't suppose to help at all. She's no fun." She smiled again, then turned and walked away, slowly disappearing into thin air, her last words fading with her, "Good luck!"_

Dark awoke in a dimly-lit chamber. The only light came from a torch in one corner of the room that filled the air with the sharp smell of burning wood. Dark sat up, and found that he was lying on a soft bed with a warm fur draped over him to serve as a blanket. The Goron's Ruby and his other things were lain out on a small wooden table beside his bed, and there was a tray of food sitting there, still warm. Dark tucked the Ruby into his pack, and then helped himself to the food. He was eagerly spooning down the soup when there was a voice at the flap of skin that served as his door. "You awake yet?" it called, and Dark was certain the voice belonged to Darunia. Seconds later, the big goron's head popped in, and he looked at Dark with a smile. "So you are," he said. "Glad to see your appetite is good."

Dark finished his soup, then got out of his bed and bowed respectfully to Darunia. "I am very thankful for your hospitality," he said.

"It's nothing," said Darunia. "And you don't have to bow, kid. Formalities are for stiffs. We Gorons like to have fun without any real regard to manners, unless we _have_ to be polite, of course." Dark straitened up, and he gave the youth a hearty slap on the back, almost knocking him over.

Dark winced and smiled feebly. "I'm sorry I can't stay," he said, "but I have some pressing matters to attend to." He donned his cloak and shouldered his pack, then offered his hand to Darunia. "So long, friend."

"So long, kid," said Darunia, taking Dark's hand and practically crushing it in his vice-like grip. "Come back soon, eh? We'll have us a big party! It'll be great!"

"Sure," said Dark, shaking his throbbing hand. He gave Darunia a quick smile, and then passed the goron into the City.

Goron City was actually a sort of enormous cave cut out of the mountain by the rock-eating Gorons, with a single, main room of several floors, and many other smaller rooms branching off the various floors. Dark's room had been on the top floor, and looking down at the bottom floor, he saw that the giant vase was still there, but it no longer spun. The Gorons reacted unexpectedly to his presence: instead of getting frightened and rolling into ball, they greeted him warmly; they greeted him as a friend. Dark returned the greetings, suddenly sorry that he had to leave. Now he wanted more than anything to stay and join them in one of their parties, but he knew from the nagging feeling at the back of his mind that he had to go and face his destiny.

Dark exited the City with some reluctance, and there to greet him was Shadowmane. There was a pile of some sort of grain near the horse, as well as a deep vat of water, and Dark was assured that his horse had been taken care of as well. He climbed into the saddle, and then with one last look towards the Goron stronghold, he set off down Death Mountain, mentally plotting his course towards Zora's River. He wasn't exactly looking forward to being around all of that water, but it was possible to reach Zora's Domain without getting wet, and he had to get the Zora's Sapphire.

It was early morning when he reached the bottom of the trail and the entrance to Kakariko Village. He was unsettled by the silence that loomed over the town, and rode stealthily past the dark houses, not wanting to disturb the quiet for anything. He'd ridden to the tree near the exit to Hyrule Field when an arrow whizzed down from one of the rooftops, striking Dark in the shoulder and knocking him off his horse. Shadowmane reared up in fear as a group of men rushed forward, a few of them turning aside to subdue the frantic beast. The rest grouped around Dark, brandishing pitchforks and other makeshift weapons.

Dark rose slowly, then got hold of the arrow and yanked it from his shoulder, gritting his teeth against the pain. He tossed the offending object away and clutched at the wound as pain flared up in his arm, glaring at the men in spite and confusion. The villagers grew tense, sensing his anger, then two men bravely (or foolishly) came forward and pinned him against the rock wall behind him. One of the men came forward brandishing a shovel, and Dark was forcibly reminded of his first meeting with Talon at the Ranch. "You'll pay for what you did, demon," growled the man, hefting the shovel.

"I haven't done anything!" cried Dark, angry and confused. He had no clue what this man was on about.

"Oh yeah?" said the man, bringing his face close to Dark's. "If you weren't the one who let the shadow spirit out, who did?"

"I have no clue what you're talking about," said Dark, completely confused.

"Lies!" cried the man. He held up a small object, just a bit bigger than the man's fist. It was blue and egg-shaped, and seemed to glow in the early morning light. "I found this in the graveyard," said the man, "the ocarina that has been in my family for years! My son was lying nearby, dead!" Tears ran down his cheeks, and a few of the men moved over to comfort him. Dark stared at the ocarina in the man's hand, almost positive that it was the Ocarina of Time. But what was this man doing with it?

A citizen stood forward, and Dark turned his attention to him. "The Princess should have ordered your death when she had the chance!" he cried. "Now we will kill you ourselves and rid her of the trouble!" He moved in, followed by the rest of the crowd. The man with the ocarina pushed his way to the front and brought the shovel back, aiming to chop Dark in half like a worm. The villagers all raised their weapons, their eyes devoid of mercy.

"STOP!" A sharp, commanding voice cut across the proceedings. They all looked around to see that Impa, Zelda's bodyguard and head of Kakariko Village, was headed strait for them with an angry look on her face. "What is going on here?" she asked, coming to stand just outside the group.

"We found the one who let the spirit out, m'lady!" cried one of the men, pointing to Dark. Impa poked her way past the men to get a better look, and a look of recognition flashed across her face before it was replaced by her usual passive mask. She turned back toward the men, sweeping the crowd with a hard look.

"What proof do you have that this… person is guilty of the crime you accuse him with?" she said in a hard tone, crossing her arms.

Nobody spoke. Silence beat on the air for a minute, and then a man said, "Do we need any? I mean, _look_ at him." There was a murmur of agreement that spread throughout the crowd.

"So?" said Impa. "Look at me! I look different from the rest of you. Will you accuse me of a crime I did not commit because I wear the garb of my people and not yours? I, who have looked after this village from the beginning, am not to be judged by my looks, and neither is this man."

"But, m'lady!" said the same man, "he doesn't look like either of our kinds, or a Goron, or anything! He's a demon!"

"He is not," said Impa. "He is innocent. He did not release the spirit."

"Then who did?" asked one of the men.

"Ganondorf." A hush fell over the crowd. Dark looked at her intently, surprised by this new bit of information. "He is still locked up in the Shadow Realm, but he is gaining strength," explained Impa. "Those servants of oldest evil are awakening to his call, including the spirit in the Graveyard."

The crowd grew hushed, and they let their weapons drop to the ground. Impa nodded to them curtly, and then turned to Dark. "Come with me," she said. She walked off toward the largest house in the village, and Dark followed close behind, whistling for Shadowmane, who trotted along behind them.

As they entered the house, Impa gestured to a stool near the lit fireplace, and Dark sat in it. Shadowmane remained outside, looking in through the door. "Your horse acts very strangely," commented Impa, setting a kettle on the fire to warm some water. "He's very attached to you."

Dark shrugged, and winced as pain shot through his shoulder. "We've just reached an understanding, I guess," he said, gritting his teeth again. "We've both suffered at the hands of Ganondorf."

"You aren't still one of his minions?" asked Impa imploringly.

"No," said Dark. "I used to be, up until the time Link came. All I did was sit in that stupid room, and when Link finally came, when I finally had a chance to do what I was made to do, he beat me. But I'm glad he did, because now I know that he was right all along.

"I learned a lot from his memories in the time I was in the Temple. I share his memories because I'm a part of him, and remember seeing things in his memories that were so strange at the time; rocks, birds, trees with leaves on their branches. Through the memories, I discovered who I was. The foggiest moments I could remember were moments of pure joy, while the clearest ones, the ones that felt real, were his moments of deepest fear, or anger, or sadness. I knew that I'd been there every time something bad had happened to him, every time he'd dealt a blow, or suffered one. That's who I was." He didn't say, "And I still am." He felt different than he had the day he encountered Link for the first time.

He suddenly realized that he'd poured his heart out to Impa, and told her everything that was on his mind. He looked up at her, and she smiled. "Don't worry," she said, taking the kettle off as it started to sing. "I won't tell anyone anything that you just told me. I'm good at keeping secrets. After all, I have been Zelda's bodyguard all her life." She poured the hot water into a bowl and crushed some herbs into it, and soon the room was filled with their strong, refreshing fragrance. She found a clean cloth and brought a chair over next to Dark, setting the bowl on a table nearby. "Let me look at your shoulder," she said, dipping the cloth into the water.

Dark moved his hand away from his shoulder, and saw that instead of bleeding black mist, his shoulder had soaked his shirt in real blood. It was black, but it had the right consistency. _I wonder what that means,_ thought Dark. Impa dabbed at the wound with the cloth, and it stung fiercely. Dark screwed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth, but said nothing. As she worked, Impa asked him, "What were you doing up on Death Mountain?"

Dark hesitated in his reply. There was no way he could tell her what he'd actually gone up there for without arousing her suspicions. So he told her a half-truth. "I was earning the friendship of the Gorons."

"Oh?" said Impa, raising an eyebrow. "And why would you want to do that?"

"Is it such a terrible thing to want a few friends?"

Impa wasn't entirely convinced. "I guess not."

Dark knew she wasn't buying it, so he fed her another half-truth. "But that wasn't the reason I went up there." He paused, and Impa implored him to go on. "Well… to be honest, I went up there to see the sights. I've seen Death Mountain before, from Link's memories, but I've never been there. I was just curious, I guess."

Impa nodded, and he knew she'd bought it, if only for the moment. He decided to change the subject. "What is this, spirit, that is killing villagers in the Graveyard?" he asked, a plan forming in his mind.

"It is a ghost of an evil man who was once captain of the King's army," said Impa, who was done cleaning the wound and was spreading a poultice on a linen pad to bind to his shoulder. "In life, he was cruel and ambitious. He showed no mercy in battle, and used insincere methods to climb the social ladder of the King's court." She bound the pad to his shoulder with a clean strip of linen, speaking as she did, "One day, he was caught aiding the enemy and was executed. His body was buried in the forest behind the Graveyard." She tied off the bandage. "There. That should help it heal quicker."

Dark moved his arm, testing it. "Thank you," he said to Impa. Impa smiled and nodded, then went and opened the door of the house, suggesting that it would be best if he was on his way.

He exited the house and saw a group of men muttering nearby, among them the man whose son had died. Dark approached them, and they all shrank away from him in fear. He ignored their reaction and crossed his arms in a business-like way, saying, "I will destroy the ghost."

The crowd stared at him for a minute, unbelieving, and then one of them stood forward in anger. "Why should we trust you?" he asked Dark suspiciously. "You're going to help us, right after we tried to kill you? For what price?"

Dark said calmly, "I will help you. And for that deed and in compensation for our little misunderstanding, I name my prize."

"And how will you kill it if you're unarmed?" asked the man.

"I will manage," replied Dark. "Do we have a deal?"

The men huddled together and had a whispered conference until they'd reached an agreement. "Alright," said one of the men. "We will trust you because Impa trusts you."

Dark nodded, and then headed off in the direction of the Graveyard. The men watched as he walked up the short path and around a corner, then one of them whispered, "He's a dead man." The others nodded in agreement.

Dark stood at the entrance to the Graveyard and looked around, taking in the sight of rows and rows of gravestones, the final resting place of soldiers who'd died in the service of their king. Quite a few of the gravestones had been broken or blasted away; signs of the Spirit's passing. Dark moved among them, inescapably drawn to the tomb at the back of the Graveyard, which was larger than the rest. The tombstone was gone, demolished by the sweet strains of Zelda's Lullaby on one of Link's journeys to the Graveyard when he was a child, and Dark looked down into it. The sickly-sweet smell of death wafted up to greet him, and he was suddenly certain that his quarry was hiding in that tomb. _Guess it doesn't like the sun,_ thought Dark. He gathered his wits about himself, and then jumped down through the hole.

He was immediately engulfed in the horrid stench of the tomb, and his eyes stung as he looked around in the dim light. Rotting corpses lay strew about, and mildew covered the floor and walls. There was a door at the other end of the room, and the two torches on either side were lit, casting flickering shadows on the walls. Dark picked up a piece of broken timber and went over, holding one end in the fire of a torch until it lit. The extra torch did little to throw back the heavy darkness that hung like a curtain in the room. Dark pulled a sword out of the stomach of a nearby corpse and went through the door, which slid open of its own accord.

The room beyond was filled with toxic fumes, and there were pools of acid in the floor that spewed green gases into the air. Dark recognized the place, but felt that something was missing. Where were the re-deads? _Whatever, _he thought, shrugging it off. He continued through the room, careful to avoid the pools. He wasn't looking for re-deads, so what did it matter?

Dark reached the door at the other end of the room without much trouble, and it opened in the same fashion as the other. Dark stepped into the room in which a young Link had learned the Sun's Song, but saw that the headstone on which the song had been written was smashed to pieces, and in front of it sat the spirit. It was a skeletal, almost transparent ghost, dressed in its military uniform. It had form from the waist up, but below that its coat hung in tatters and it floated off the ground without any legs or feet. It wore a hat with a large brim, dark blue and trimmed with silver like the rest of his outfit.

It was woken from its sleep by Dark's entrance, and it shook the sleep from its head. It squinted towards the doorway and said, "_Who goes there_?" in a voice that was like the wind whistling through a hollow skull.

Dark did not answer immediately. Instead, he strode forward, holding his sword out in full view of the spirit. He issued it a challenge, saying, "I am a warrior who has come to vanquish you. Stand forth and fight."

It stared at him a moment, and then laughed a laugh that could've rotted live trees from the inside out. "_Fool!_" it rasped. "_I know who you are, shadow, and I know you do not have the strength you used to. Traitors like you have no place among the living. Prepare to die!_" He drew two swords that were stuck in the ground beside him and roared a roar that shook Dark to his bones. The youth wondered at this, since it should not have any effect on him at all, but he forced it out of his mind. Thinking quickly, he hauled back and chucked the torch at his adversary. It hit the specter in the face, setting it on fire, and Dark took advantage of the distraction to turn and bolt through the door, knowing that he was at a disadvantage in the small room.

Dark jumped the acid pools in the chamber beyond as another roar rent the air, and reached the door to the first chamber just as the spirit glided through the one behind him, no longer on fire (since fire can't travel through stone). He slipped through the door and ducked to one side of it. As his foe glided past him, Dark hefted his sword in both hands and swung at it. The blade passed through its target without stopping, and without harming his enemy, who laughed and spun about, dealing Dark its own blow. The youth was thrown against the wall of the tomb, a newly-opened gash in his chest bleeding heavily.

Dark dropped into a sitting position, gasping for breath, with the flat of his blade leaning against his shoulder. Some of the blood got on the pitted metal, and it was soaked up, staining it black. Dark wondered at this as the ghost grew closer, raising its sword high above its head and closing in for the kill. He surged up and away, dodging the attack and placing the blade against his wound at the same time, then he lashed out. The blood-stained blade sliced through his enemy's ghostly hide, and Dark was satisfied to hear a painful wail pierce the air. It appeared that Dark's blood had given it the power to affect ghosts.

The spirit turned and attacked with increased fury, but Dark had "expert swordsman" written on every fiber of his being, and after a short exchange, he lunged and drove the sword strait through the ghost's supposed stomach. The specter screamed in pain and shock as the blade sucked all of the energy out of it, and Dark was hard put to hold onto the hilt as it pulled. Finally, the ghost was reduced to a wisp of mist that dissipated into the close air, and Dark was left staring at his sword in morbid fascination.

A large strand of mist wrapped itself around the blade, and then disappeared. It seemed to hum in his hand, and Dark suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to kill. To kill all of the people in the village, maybe, or all the people in Hyrule. The blade grew warm, as if screaming for blood. Dark knew then that no amount of blood would quench its thirst. His own blood had cursed the blade, and given it an evil life of its own. He was determined not to fight with such a blade.

Dark swung his blade as hard as he could against the wall of the tomb, and it shattered on contact. A hundred pieces flew in every direction, bouncing off skeletons and skidding across the floor. Dark tossed the broken hilt to the ground, and it landed with a resounding 'clang' next to the phantom's swords, which had not disappeared. Dark scooped his enemy's swords up and tucked them into his pack, and then turned and climbed up to the surface.

A few minutes later, when the villagers saw Dark emerge from the graveyard alive and unscathed (aside from the wound in his chest which had been sealed as Dark's blood cursed his blade), they were amazed. They were even more amazed when he tossed the weapons of the spirit at their feet as proof of his victory. "We made a deal," he said in a business-like tone. "I will name my prize, and then be on my way."

One of the men came forward. "Forgive us for being so impolite towards you," he said. "We hope you will forgive us, and hold no hard feelings. What do you desire to be your prize? We will give it to you."

Dark looked at the man whose son had been slain by the spirit. "Your ocarina," he said. "May I have it?"

"Of course," said the man, fishing it out of his pocket. "It would only remind me of my loss." He tossed it to Dark, who examined it. It was the same vivid blue as the Ocarina of Time, and the same size, but he needed to be sure it was the one; otherwise it was useless to him. He brought the mouthpiece to his lips and played the Song of Storms, his hands working automatically to manipulate the sounds as though he'd played it a hundred times before. The mysteriously beautiful melody drifted through the crowd and filled the air with its perfect tone, and as Dark finished, he held his breath. At first, nothing happened, and Dark's heart sank for a few agonizing moments as he was sure he'd been mistaken.

Then a drop of rain hit him in the nose, and he looked up to see that storm clouds had gathered over the village and rain was beating down hard, when a few minutes ago it had been clear and sunny. He smiled to himself. It was the Ocarina of Time. The golden seal of the Royal Family had been peeled off, and it was a bit dirty, but it had to be the one. No other instrument could possibly have that kind of tone quality, or those magical attributes.

With a small laugh of relief, Dark whistled for Shadowmane, who trotted over. He swung himself up into the saddle, and then looked at the villagers, who where looking at him in astonishment. He gave them a smart wink, then gave his horse a swift kick and rode out of the Village and into Hyrule Field as the rain began to magically lift around him.

To Be Continued

A/N: Hey, guys! I'm really sorry this took so long. My Internet was down for the longest time. Anyway, I finally got this up! Hope you liked it.

P.S. As a treat for all the loyal fans who checked this story every day and was disappointed, I have written another little Zelda story. It's a one-shot western. Check it out!


	7. The Zora's Sapphire A Test of Valor

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've had a lot of crap to deal with, what with finals coming up and family stuff… Anyways, here it is. Chapter 7. Hope you like it. My apologies again for the lack of updates lately.

Also, to answer the question that Ri2 had. I'll put an intro in the front of this chapter for people who want to know how the guy in Kakariko got the Ocarina of Time. If you don't care, you don't have to read it.

Intro: After Link defeated Ganondorf, he was sent back in time to his past, and Zelda kept the Ocarina. One day, a thief got into Hyrule Castle and stole the Ocarina, along with many other valuable artifacts in the castle. In his haste to leave the castle, he dropped a few things, including the Ocarina. The man from Kakariko had gone to the castle that day (he needed to talk to Impa about the progress the builders had made on the archery range), and he found the Ocarina and took it home.

When the king discovered it gone, he didn't know what he should do. He summoned his High Priest to pray to the goddesses for an answer, and in three days time, a solution was found. The priest told the king not to worry, that the goddesses said to let fate handle the situation. So the Ocarina of Time became the heirloom of a simple carpenter's household, until seven years had passed. The rest you know.

**Chapter 7: The Zora's Sapphire - A Test of Valor**

Dusk was falling as Dark and Shadowmane made their way towards Zora's Domain, the location of the Spiritual Stone of Water. The thought of being around so much water made Dark uncomfortable, but his eagerness to obtain the Zora's Sapphire pushed his fear from his mind. He urged his horse forward, readying himself for any challenges that may lie ahead.

It wasn't long before he found something amiss; as he rounded the top of a large hill in Hyrule Field, he saw that below him were two creatures, seemingly discussing something. Upon closer inspection, he saw that they were Moblins, pig-like monsters that stood on two legs and wore armor. One carried a large spear, while the other hefted a bow, and both seemed more than capable of using their weapons. Dark would have to act quickly and quietly.

The too Moblins were arguing over something unimportant, but were distracted as Shadowmane cantered by them, riderless. Dark snuck up behind the one with the bow and stole one of its arrows, then drove it into the beast's neck. The monster howled in pain and sank to the ground, and Dark snatched up its bow just as the other looked around. In one fluid movement, he nocked his arrow, took aim, and fired it right into the enemy's forehead. He took another arrow from the quiver and finished off the first Moblin, which was still moving, then stood over the bodies, looking at them.

What were Moblins doing in Hyrule Field? They usually hid in the furthest depths of the Lost Woods, driven into hiding with the banishment of their master. And they would never enter the Field in such small groups, since it made then vulnerable. Dark got an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach, but he knew he could do nothing simply standing there staring. He whistled for his horse, who trotted over, then took the quiver from the dead Moblin and slung it over his back, along with the creature's longbow. He was sure that he would need them eventually. Swinging up unto Shadowmane's back, he rode off east, towards the entrance to Zora's River.

When Dark finally reached Zora's River, he made his way along the riverbank, being careful not to let his eyes drift to the water rushing by his feet. He had left his horse back at the mouth of the river, knowing that there wasn't enough room for both of them. He pulled his cloak tighter about him despite the heat of the day, eager for a small sense of security as he urged himself on. Every step was reluctant, his nagging fear making his legs feel like jelly. He focused on going strait forward, and not looking anywhere but on the ground in front of his feet. The springy turf bended under his swift footsteps, and he forced himself to ignore the sound of rushing water nearby.

He'd soon reached the entrance to Zora's domain, which was simply a plaque with the symbol of the Triforce on it in front of a large waterfall. Dark stood on the Triforce symbol and pulled out the Ocarina of Time, then brought it to his lips and played the sacred melody of the Royal Family; Zelda's Lullaby. The music seemed to fill the whole canyon, vibrating in the air in such perfect tone that it brought shame to the singing of birds. When the song was finished, the waterfall slowed enough for Dark to see the entrance to a tunnel.

Dark froze. He'd have to jump that fearful gap. He began to look down, but stopped himself, and drew in a deep breath. Gathering the remainder of his tattered courage, he backed up a few steps, and then jumped off the platform. After a second of being suspended in midair, he landed inside the tunnel, and the curtain of water closed behind him. He let out a sigh of relief, and then headed into Zora's Domain.

Zora's Domain was a watery paradise, home of the mysterious Zoras. These fish-people were a friendly race, and were on good terms with the other races of Hyrule, especially the Hylians themselves. Which was why Dark was surprised when two Zoras wearing chain mail and wielding pikes ran up to him as he entered. _More guards?_ he thought, remembering his trip to Death Mountain. They crossed their pikes in front of him, blocking his way, and one of them said, "What business brings you to Zora's Domain?"

"I wish to speak with King Zora," explained Dark.

The guards looked at each other with confused expressions, then the guard said, "King Zora has been dead for several years. There was a huge funeral and all of Hyrule heard about it."

"Well, I didn't," Dark replied. "Who's in charge, then?"

"The current King is too young to rule, so Queen Ruto is acting as regent," explained the other guard.

The first guard then said to Dark, "If you wish to see the Queen, we will escort you to her." He and the other guard stood on either side of Dark and marched him through the dwelling of the Zoras, keeping their weapons close to hand. They soon reached the Throne Room and saw that Ruto was seated there with her son. They both looked up as Dark entered, and the young Zora grew frightened at the sight of the unwelcome guest, and hid the best he could behind his mother. Ruto looked at Dark with an expression of shock, which was swiftly replaced with an angry glare. "He asked to see you, Your Majesty," explained one of the guards.

"You should have turned him away," Ruto replied, annoyed. She stood and motioned to   
Dark. "Stand there," she said, pointing to the pedestal in front of the throne. "Show the proper respect due to a Queen." Dark obeyed, not knowing what to expect. Ruto looked at him for a moment, then said, "I know what you are. You're that shadow fiend that escaped the Water Temple a couple days ago. I received a message from the Royal Family that said you weren't a danger, and that you may go about Hyrule as you please. It did not say, however, that you could simply enter into my kingdom and demand to see me! Even if it had, I would have had you thrown out anyway. I have learned from my father's mistakes, and I will not let people like you and Ganondorf run rampant, and have all the possible opportunities to cause trouble." Dark felt his face growing hot. He was sick of people making assumptions about him. He didn't want to take over Zora's Domain, and he was pissed that she'd put him on the same level as Ganondorf.

"I beg your forgiveness, Your Majesty," began Dark, careful to conceal the annoyance in his voice, "but I mean you and your people no harm. I come here on a quest." He reached into his pack and pulled out the Goron's Ruby, then held it out for her inspection. "Already I have won the approval of Darunia, leader of the Gorons, and he gave me this."

Ruto sneered at him. "And I'm guessing you want the Zora's Sapphire, is that it? Darunia must've been a fool to give you that, if you didn't steal it. I am not a fool. I will never give you the stone." She nodded to her guards. "Escort him out."

Dark bristled as the guards led him out of the Domain at the point of their pikes. They forced him to jump through the waterfall to the platform in Zora's River, and Dark stood there, dripping and shuddering, as they walked back into the Domain. He glared after them, and then moved over to a spot where he could lean against the wall of the canyon and think. There was no way to convince Ruto to give him the Stone, so what should he do? He had to get it; he'd come too far to give up now. He had to steal it.

He also had to find a way to get into Zora's Domain. A few options popped into his head: 1) he could sneak inside at night, 2) he could enter through the underwater tunnel from Lake Hylia 3) he could enter from Zora's Fountain, which was above the waterfall. Option 1 seemed far too simple to work, and Ruto had probably increased the number of guards watching the entrance anyway. Option 2 would probably work, but there was no way Dark could make himself get in the water and swim through an underwater tunnel. The last option seemed least likely, and would be the least guarded, but it would require him climbing up the waterfall to get there.

Dark looked at the waterfall. All that water cascading into the river below, splashing over rocks, continuously falling… just thinking about it made his stomach churn. He shivered, and looked away. He wished that there was another way, but there wasn't. He stood and shed his cloak, then forced himself to look again. He saw that he would need to climb close to the canyon wall, where the current was weakest. The rocks were wet and slippery, so he would need some extra support. There was a gate at the top of the waterfall, and it gave him an idea. He dug once more into his pack and pulled out his hook-on-a-rope, his gift from Farore herself, and swung it in circles above his head. When he let go, it soared to the top of the waterfall, catching on to the gate at the top of the arc. Dark was suddenly certain that the gadget had been blessed. There was no way his aim could be that good.

Now came the hard part. Dark numbly tied the other end of the rope around his waist, body tense with the thought of what he was about to attempt. He dropped his pack next to his cloak, but kept his bow and arrow with him in case he encountered any trouble; his run-in with the Moblins had made him wary, and he didn't feel like taking any chances. Taking a deep breath, he studied the rough stone for a foothold, checked that the rope was taught, and jumped.

When he reached the wall, the rope held, and he found a foothold and handholds, but he couldn't move. The freezing water poured down on him and over him, shocking him and knocking the wind from his lungs. His gripped the stone so hard his knuckles turned white. His nerves were jumping all over the place. _I hate water, I hate water_, he found himself thinking over and over. Then he forced himself to move, and he reached up and found another handhold. He began to make his way very slowly up the waterfall, hand over hand, foot by foot, thinking of nothing except getting to the top. When he finally reached the gate, he vaulted over it, stopping only to unhook his gadget before running over to the platform nearby. He fell onto the cool stones there, breathing heavily and staring at the stars that now lit up the sky. It was wonderful to be on dry ground again.

After a while, he forced himself to sit up and look around. Zora's Fountain was little more than a large lake, fed by a hidden spring. Lord Jabu-Jabu, a giant fish said to be the patron god of the Zoras, had dwelt here when Link first came on his quest to save Hyrule, but was no longer floating in the fountain's tranquil waters. As Dark was wondering at this, there came the sound of footsteps in the water, and he looked around to see a small figure making its way toward him. He sat still with his head down, hoping the figure wouldn't notice, but if the Zora did see him, it ignored him. It walked into the middle of the platform and held a glowing object out in its hands._ That's Ruto's kid, _thought Dark. _And that's the Sapphire he's holding!_ It was true. But what was he doing?

Then Dark sensed something coming from the middle of the lake. He looked and saw that the darkness above the surface was _moving_, as though it had taken on a life of its own. It formed into a tentacle and began to drift toward the platform, or more specifically, toward the boy. Dark knew that it was an enemy at once, and pulled out his bow. He shot an arrow at the spot where it was most condensed, and it passed right through, landing with a "plunk" in the water. The tentacle turned and surged at him, ploughing into him. It grated at his skin like sand, and it was all Dark could do to stay on his feet. Then it retracted back into a sphere that hovered over the water for a moment, before falling down into it without a noise.

Dark stood for a moment, recovering, then looked over at the boy. The young Zora hadn't even blinked throughout the entire thing. He just stood there, staring into space, as though in a trance. Dark was about to walk over and shake him, just to make sure he was alive, when there was an enormous splash from the middle of the lake. The thing had come back out of the water and had made a layer of water around itself. A bulge appeared in the layer, and it grew and took form until it looked like the head of a giant snake. The snake grew a body that was thick as a tree trunk and getting steadily longer, all made of water controlled by the dark blob.

The snake surged toward the boy, and Dark suddenly knew that the snake wanted the Sapphire. Even though the thing scared him stiff, he knew he had to protect the boy. He drew an arrow and took aim, but froze as he saw a second snake sprout from the orb and surge toward him. The Zora boy screamed as the first snake bit down over his hands, not harming the boy, since it was made of water, but causing him to drop the stone. The stone traveled through the snake's body to the orb, and there was a surge of power. The enemy itself left the safety of the water orb and stood on top of it in a form that was almost human, but Dark didn't have time to look.

The snake, made solid by the power of the stone, wrapped itself around Dark and lifted him into the air, pinning his arms to his side and causing him to drop his bow. It lifted him high over the platform, and then moved so that he was suspended above the water. It squeezed tight, and then it plunged him down into the lake.

Dark hadn't had time to take a breath before he went under. He struggled frantically against the snake's grip, desperate for air, but it only squeezed him tighter. Black dots began to form at the edge of his vision, and still he forced himself to resist the instinct to gasp for air. His body went limp, and his vision slowly began to fade. _Damn…_ he thought. _Damn…_

All of a sudden, the snake let go and gave a violent lurch, launching him up. Dark gasped as he broke the surface, coughing violently and trying to tread water at the same time. He looked around for the snake, and saw that the Zora kid had dove in and attacked it, and was putting up a good fight. But the other snake was closing in, and Dark knew the kid couldn't fight both alone. He swam as quick as he could to the platform and grabbed up his bow, turning around just as the second snake got to the kid and swallowed him. Dark stared in horror as the boy's limp body traveled through the snake, headed for the orb of water, and then had to jump out of the way as the other snake attacked, its jaws closing inches from his ear.

This was the moment of truth. It was do or die now. Dark shot the nearest snake in the head with an arrow, then did the same to the other as it came in for the kill. Then he aimed and shot the figure controlling the snakes, which writhed in pain, making the snakes shake wildly. Dark jumped onto the head of one of the snakes with an arrow in each hand, which aided him in holding on to the snake as he ran down its back. He fired a last arrow into the enemy as he neared it, then jumped at the stone, which was suspended in the water orb. His hand closed around it, and he passed through the orb and landed in the lake behind. When he resurfaced, he looked back, and the enemy was gone.

He saw that Ruto's kid was sinking, so he stuffed the stone in his boot, swam over and pulled him up to the surface. He helped the kid back to the platform, where they both collapsed, exhausted. Dark struggled into a sitting position, and then remembered that the stone was in his boot. He pulled it out and handed it to the kid, saying, "Here. This is yours."

The kid sat up and smiled, shaking his head. "You keep it. You saved my life."

"You saved mine. You're a good fighter, kid."

"Thank you, but keep it. I insist." The kid looked at him closely. "Something's different about you. You look different."

"What?" Dark moved over to where he could see his reflection in the water. In the light of the moon, he saw that he did look different. He didn't look like a shadow anymore, but instead he looked more like a Hylian, with his brown hair and eyes and his pale skin. His voice sounded different as well, less hollow and deep. He had a cut on his face that was bleeding, and when he touched it, the blood on his hand was red, not black. It was almost like he was a completely different person. _How did this happen?_ he wondered.

The boy looked at him for a moment, then shrugged and stood up. "Maybe it's just my imagination," he said. "I should go inside. Mom will be worried if she finds me gone." He turned and began to leave.

"Wait!" Dark called, and the boy turned back. Dark paused a moment, wondering why he called him back, then asked, "What's your name, kid?"

The kid smiled, and then said, "It's Link." Then he turned around and walked back into Zora's Domain.

Dark stared after him. _No way. She named him Link?_ He wasn't sure whether he should be disgusted or amused. He shook his head, then stood up stiffly and looked around. Now that he had the Sapphire, the wisest course of action would be to leave. But he couldn't leave through Zora's Domain, and that meant… suddenly, he smiled. He wasn't afraid of the water anymore. In fact, he kind of liked it. After facing that monster with the snakes, the waterfall was just like any other landform.

Then he got an idea. The idea and the fact that the very thought of it made his heart race was definite proof that he had changed. He was going to jump off the waterfall.

The plunge pool below was deep enough, and it wasn't all that high. He ran over to the gate at the top of the falls and tossed down his hook and his bow and arrows so that they landed next to his pack. Then he got up onto the gate, closed his eyes, and let himself fall. The wind whistled past his ears, and his stomach dropped to his toes, and after what seemed like forever, he hit the water at the bottom. He tumbled over and over as the water from above mixed with the water below, and then he popped up and broke the surface. He swam over to the bank and scrambled up, and two thoughts immediately entered his head: the first, _That was definitely the stupidest thing I've ever done,_ and the second, _That was $&ing awesome!_

When he had recovered, he gathered up his things and headed back down the river, laughing at himself and splashing in the shallows as if to say, "How could I ever have been afraid of water?"

A/N: Yay! I love ending chapters on a high note! I'm really sorry it took so dang long to get this thing posted, really I am, I just hit a wall. A really big wall. With clowns painted on it. I hate clowns. And now to respond to my reviewers!

**Ri2** – See intro

**Steeple333** – Sorry 'bout the eyes! I'll probably write another fic where he has red eyes the whole time!

**Oni-Gil **– You said more, so here is more! Hope you liked it. I'll try and update sooner, my bad.

Yeah, cool! This chapter seems a little short, I'm not sure why… I feel like I could've done better on this, so if anything comes to mind, let me know! I love constructive criticism!


	8. The Journey Ends

A/N: Yeah, I got nothing to say. 'Cept a small warning to those of you who don't like Dark/Malon fluff, 'cause there's some mushy stuff in this chapter (Personally, I think it's really sweet, but hey, you can't please everybody). And now to respond to my lovely reviewers!

**Oni-Gil - **I'm glad Dark's not afraid of water anymore too. Also, the snake-thingy is an Elemental, but I wasn't sure how to explain that in the story. Once I figure it out, I'll put it in.

**blondie91** - thank you! I'm glad you liked it so much!

**Steeple333** – I'm glad you liked it. Don't worry, the lost phobia will make sense when you read this chapter.

**Ri2** – The kid's father is the one who found the Ocarina.

**EvilRobotZombieLoofaOverlord** – I'm glad to hear that you like my interpretation of Dark! And Link isn't being a jackass, he just doesn't trust Dark. At all.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the 8th and final chapter of Dark Link's Legacy!

Chapter 8: The Journey Ends 

Dark made his way for the second time through the Lost Woods, searching for the wise old owl, Kaepora Gaebora. It was quiet, as it always was at night, and seemed strange and daunting to Dark, who was just getting used to not being able to see in the dark anymore. The shadows shifted and branches creaked all around him, and a cool wind blew through the trees, making him shiver. _Being Hylian sure has its disadvantages,_ he thought, pulling his cloak tighter about him. That was the conclusion that he had come to: he'd somehow, impossibly, turned into a Hylian. He wondered if it had anything to do with the immaculate aura of the Spiritual Stones in his pack, since it wasn't until he obtained the Goron's Ruby that he began to feel different. He knew that the Goddesses had something to do with it, and with him and his quest, and he hoped it was for better and not for worse.

He had trekked all the way to the Sacred Forest Meadow, and still had found no sign of the owl. He shuffled wearily up the steps to the Forest Temple, and then looked around the empty clearing in resignation, stopping to rub his eyes. How long had it been since he last slept? He hadn't needed to sleep before, and he was finding more and more things about being Hylian that were highly inconvenient. He looked back toward the Lost Woods and sighed. "Where is that bird?"

" 'That bird' is right behind you," replied a familiar voice. Dark spun around and looked up, and there was the owl, sitting on the limb of the tree like when Dark first saw him. It cocked its head, studying him. "So, you've done it. You've become more than the shadow of a hero. You've become a real person, your own person, just like you always knew you were.

"However, it was not the power of the Spiritual Stones that transformed you, as you may assume. It was the tasks you completed in order to obtain them, tasks that proved your wisdom, your power, and your courage." It was then that Dark knew the owl had seen everything, and knew that he carried the Ocarina of Time in his pack. He felt like he was made of glass, and the owl could see right through him. "These tasks were chosen by fate to test you, and you were victorious. So I will keep up my end of our bargain." The owl swooped down from its perch and dropped something into Dark's hands, then flew off, calling, "Seek thy path, fulfill thy destiny!"

Dark looked after the owl as it disappeared into the shadows, then opened his hands. Just as he'd guessed, the Kokiri Emerald gleamed up at him, the ray of the stars and the moon glinting of its multi-faceted surface. His heart raced as he took off his pack and opened it, setting the Emerald next to the other two stones. He looked at the three artifacts side-by-side in his pack, three hard-earned treasures that would lead him to his final goal, and he was filled with excitement and pride. He felt almost dizzy from the wave of emotions, but he couldn't pull his eyes away.

He began to go over the plan in his head: He'd gotten the stones, so now he'd just slip into the Temple of Time and open the portal to the Shadow Realm. Then he'd find a weapon somewhere, find Ganondorf, then kill him in a way that would make it easy for Dark, but Ganondorf would know it was him. The perfect revenge. His mind raced as he tied his pack shut and slung over his shoulder, then hurried out of the Woods and back to where Shadowmane was waiting for him. "This is it, pal," he said to his horse, stroking its neck. "The big finish. Ganon's going down." With an enthusiastic "Yah!" he spurred his horse into action and set off toward the castle.

As he rode, the looming silhouette of Lon Lon Ranch appeared above the horizon. At once, Dark was reminded of Malon, and his heart skipped a beat as her bright cheerful face appeared in his mind. He wanted to see her, to speak to her one last time before he put his life on the line, but he didn't know if she'd recognize him as he was. He finally decided to go, if only to be in her presence, and perhaps to say good-bye. He turned Shadowmane around and headed for the Ranch, his heart heavy and light at the same time.

When he arrived, he dismounted and headed for the stables, remembering what she had once told him. She'd said that she preferred to sleep with the horses because it gave her a better understanding of them, and it gave them a bond. "Besides," she'd add, "if I slept in the house, my dad would keep me awake with his snoring!" Dark had laughed at that, and it had been the first time he'd ever laughed at a joke.

Dark slid the door of the stables open, very gently so that he wouldn't wake her, and slipped inside. She was there, sleeping soundly on a cot near the horse stalls. There was a small stool near the cot, on which rested a lit candle, and Dark moved the candle and sat down, content to watch her sleep. The flickering light made her face look soft and radiant, and to Dark it seemed that she was actually an angel, and not a simple farm girl. He stared at his feet, feeling that he should say something but unsure what to say, then he began to speak, very softly so that he would not wake her up.

"Malon, this is kind of awkward for me, but I think you should know how I feel about you. From the first day I met you, I knew you were special. You didn't judge me by how I looked like the others. You didn't even mention _him._" He was referring to Link. "You trusted me, and in a single moment, I knew that there was something else other than hate in the world. I looked into your eyes and saw something I didn't understand, the trust of a friend. When I came back the next day, I was scared to death that you weren't any different after all, and you would push me away like everyone else. But I was wrong.

"You were actually happy to see me. And at the end of the day, when we embraced in the light of the setting sun… I felt something that I've never felt before. I felt like I could grow wings and soar up past the clouds and the stars, and never come down." He looked at her, studying her face. "Seeing you sleeping there, my heart is torn in half. I wish I could stay with you forever, but I've come so far to accomplish my goal, and I can't turn from my path now that I've almost reached the end. So I've come to say good-bye." He reached down and gently moved a lock of red hair away from her face. "Farewell, Malon," he said sadly, and then began to rise and head for the door.

He was stopped, however, as he felt someone take hold of his wrist. He looked down to see Malon gazing up at him from the cot. She had an odd look on her face: she was smiling, but her eyes were watery. "It is true, what you said?" she asked him.

He sat back down. "Yes, all of it," he replied, honestly and from the bottom of his heart. "You heard me?"

"I woke up went you opened the door," she said, smiling. "I'm a light sleeper. I thought it was mister Ingo, and I pretended to be asleep." She looked at him oddly. "Why did you say good-bye? Are you going somewhere?"

Dark took a moment to think before answering. Should he tell her? It would be a relief to tell someone, and besides, she trusted him, so why should he not trust her? "Well, it's like this…" he proceeded to explain to her all that had happened during the past few days, and what he planned to do next. "Only, I'm not so sure it's about revenge anymore," he finished. "I'm still mad at Ganondorf, and I still need to kill him, but I feel different about it somehow, like I'm proving something to myself."

Malon had listened intently the whole time he spoke, and when he finished, she looked at him thoughtfully. "So, this is how he sees you," she said after a pause.

"Who?"

"Your horse, Shadowmane. I know it sounds silly, but I think that horses don't see people the way we do. I think they see them how they are on the inside. Now I can see why Shadowmane liked you." They sat together in silence for a moment, each in their own thoughts. Then Malon put her hand under her pillow and pulled out a small piece of cloth. She gave it to Dark, who looked at it, tracing the embroidered flowers along the edge and studying the prancing horse stitched into the middle.

"What is it?" he asked, eyes wide in wonder at the fine craftsmanship.

"It was my mother's," explained Malon. "She gave it to me before she passed away, and now I'm giving it to you. Think of it as a lady's favor." Dark looked at her, speechless, and then saw that she was looking back at him. They looked into each other's eyes. They leaned in at the same time, and their lips met. Dark felt his blood grow warm throughout his whole body, and a tingling sensation ran down his spine. His first kiss lasted almost a minute, just the two of them in a world of their own.

They both drew away at the same time, and Dark felt his face grow hot. Malon rested her head on his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her. She fell asleep in his arms, and when he was sure he wouldn't wake her up, he gently laid her back down on her cot and covered her with the blanket. He stood up and placed the candle back on the stool, then slipped out of the stables and into the failing night.

Dawn was breaking, and Dark reached the castle just as they lowered the drawbridge. The guards didn't recognize him as he rode by on horseback, only tipped their helmets to him and murmured a sleepy, "Morning, sir." He nodded back, passing through into the marketplace feeling relieved. He hadn't come to pick fights with the guards.

He rode through the awakening marketplace and up the stairs to the Temple of Time, dismounting at the door as he had previously and slipping inside. The Temple was the same as the last time he'd come, but he saw it in a new light as he made his way to the altar. He could now appreciate its magnificence, its old-style gothic beauty, and the eerie way his footsteps echoed off its immense stone walls. He reached the alter and got out the three Spiritual Stones, placing them one after the other in their correct spots. Then he pulled out his Ocarina and played the Song of Time, a melody that was both beautiful and haunting. As the last strains of the song faded into the recesses of the Temple, Dark closed his eyes and tensed up. What if this wasn't the right ocarina after all? What if it didn't work?

Then he heard the harsh grinding of stone on stone, and looked up to see that the triforce symbol above the door was glowing with a golden light, and the Door of Time was slowly sliding open. Dark expected to see a portal to he Shadow Realm open before his very eyes, but instead, he saw that beyond the Door was another chamber. It was too dark to see into it very well, so he hurried forward and passed through the doors. A single beam of light fell from a window high in the wall, casting a pale morning haze over the ascending dais in the middle of the room. As Dark let his eyes adjust to the change of light, his stomach twisted in despair as he discovered an enormous hole in his plan. He had forgotten the most crucial part of all; he had forgotten about the Master Sword.

The legendary blade sat in its pedestal atop the dais, seeming to glow in the morning light. Dark walked up the dais and stood next to it, thinking, _How could I have forgotten?_ He knew the legend of the Master Sword. It was the final key to accessing the Sacred Realm, which was now the Shadow Realm, and only the Hero of Time hold pull it from his pedestal. And he wasn't the Hero of Time. Link was.

Dark sank onto the step, hanging his head in exhaustion. How could this happen? He'd traveled all over Hyrule, faced fear, prejudice and death, only to fail because he wasn't Link. He looked at the Ocarina of Time that he still held in his hands, the same Ocarina that had helped save Hyrule in another time, and was suddenly inspired. He began to think to himself, working it out in his head: _Hang on._ _Link wasn't the Hero of Time until he pulled the sword out of the pedestal and woke up seven years later. After he beat Ganondorf, he was sent back in time to when he was a kid, and put he put the sword back, so he must've not been the Hero of Time anymore. Which means… _He stood up. _I've still got a chance!_ He turned to face the sword, and reached out for it. He paused, hesitant, then wrapped his fingers around the handle. He held his breath and pulled.

At once, a bright light shone all around him, but it was swiftly replaced by an overwhelming darkness. A cold blast hit Dark, chilling him to the bone. He raised his hand to shield his face, and his heart skipped a beat as he realized that he was holding the Master Sword. He'd done it! He'd opened the portal into the Shadow Realm! He stared at the blade in his hand, seeing his reflection in the same blade that had once taken his life. Then he looked around, and was even more shocked by what he saw.

The Shadow Realm looked exactly the same as the Hyrule Dark had just left, only everything was in shadow. The Temple of Time around him had been destroyed, and He could see past the ruins to the demolished Marketplace beyond. It looked exactly as it had when Ganondorf had control of Hyrule, only much worse. In the distance, Dark could even see Ganon's tower, a charred structure complete with spires that pierced the sky, glowing red in the light of the lava below, just as it had been in Hyrule. Dark gripped the handle of the Master Sword in fierce resolve and set off towards Ganondorf's lair, readying himself for the battle of a lifetime.

He passed through the demolished marketplace, not looking to either side or stopping to examine the piles of bones that lay strewn about the cobblestones. He had a strange feeling, as if this place had never been meant for mortals and wasn't happy about him trespassing. He felt eyes following him, peering out from the depths of the shadows, but paid them no heed. He continued on up the path to the citadel, and then stood at the edge of the lava pool, looking for a way to cross to the tower. Link had gotten help from the Sages, who built a rainbow bridge for him to cross, but Dark didn't have that convenience at his disposal, and his hook wouldn't reach that far.

His problem was solved as he was suddenly blasted from behind. He writhed in pain where he stood as the energy ripped through him, and heard harsh laughter behind him. He turned around, and there was Ganondorf himself, charging up another ball of energy and laughing maniacally. The fiend shot the ball at Dark, who ducked in time to avoid it. Ganon then drew his own sword and leapt to the attack.

Their swords crashed together with a "clang!" and Ganondorf began to overwhelm Dark with his superior strength. Dark ducked to the side and freed his sword, then struck at Ganon's vulnerable side. He plunged his sword deep into his adversary, getting him right below his rib cage. Ganon let out an unearthly scream as a gray mist erupted from the wound, and Dark pulled the sword out of him, knowing something wasn't right. "You aren't Ganondorf!" he growled, kicking the imposter over. He reached down and pulled off the thing's mask, and it revealed the horrible, grotesque face of a ghost.

Phantom Ganon looked up at him, starting to laugh its sick laugh once more. "Look who it is," it said in a hissing voice. "Once a traitor, always a traitor, eh? First you turn your back on your own creator, then you aid him in destroying those who trusted you!"

"What are you talking about?" yelled Dark, placing the tip of the Master Sword at the base of the ghost's neck. "Tell me, or I'll relieve you of your head!"

The monster's laughter became even more raucous. "Oh, it's just too delicious!" it cried. "You don't have any idea what's going on, do you?" It's laughter grew louder, but suddenly stopped when Dark drove his sword a short ways into its neck. It only gurgled, and then said, "You will suffer now that you've opened the portal to Hyrule! The great Ganondorf will make sure that you are a witness when he establishes his kingdom!"

"No, damn it!" Dark shoved his sword the rest of the way into the phantom's throat, killing it instantly, then withdrew it and ran back to demolished Temple of Time. He could see the portal, like a window into another realm, and could see Hyrule beyond. Dark clouds were gathering, and the marketplace was in flames. A sea of monsters was headed toward the castle, bearing torches and crude weapons. Dark uttered a particularly foul curse, and then jumped through the portal.

He had a sicken sensation, almost like he was falling, and then his feet struck the stone dais of the Temple of Time. A few monster corpses were strewn about, having been trampled to death by the crowd, and villagers were screaming in terror. _What have I done?_ thought Dark in horror. He whistled for Shadowmane, who cantered up out of the shelter of a neighboring thicket of trees, and swung himself up into the saddle without stopping his horse. Keeping to the high ground, he rode past the mob of monsters, taking out the ones he could with his bow as he headed for the castle, where he knew his foe would be.

He rode through the broken-down gates and into the keep, trampling anything that got in his way. He urged Shadowmane on through the halls of the castle, following the trail of scorch marks and destruction left by Ganondorf and his minions. It lead him to the throne room, and Shadowmane burst in just in time for Dark to see Ganondorf punch Link in the face, blood squirting from his nose as he crumpled to the floor. Zelda was looking on in horror, unable to help him because two Moblins had her in their grasp.

Dark drew an arrow and shot it at Ganondorf's head. It missed and thudded into the wall behind him, and the evil king looked at Dark with a smirk. "You don't know when to die, do you?" the madman asked him, and then fired an energy ball at him. Dark didn't have time to get his sword out and reflect the attack, and was knocked off his horse with the force of the blast. He gritted his teeth as the pain burned inside him, much more potent than Phantom Ganon's attack had been. Shadowmane ran into the corner of the room, too afraid to be any closer to Ganondorf, who walked over to Dark and lifted him off the ground by his neck. "You're a great disappointment to me, do you know that?" he said as Dark fought for air. "I'm surprised that you aren't smart enough to figure out that I know everything that goes on in this world. I have plenty of spies that weren't sealed into the Shadow Realm with me, you know. As soon as I learned you were going to try and find me, I immediately assembled my army. I'm not sure how you opened a portal, but it was a very stupid thing to do. I still possess the Triforce of Power, and there's no way you would ever have defeated me. The only person who could possibly have been a threat to me is the Hero of Time, and guess where he is now?" Ganondorf pointed to Link, who seemed to be having trouble getting up.

Dark was swiftly running out of breath, but he still managed to shake his head and smile "You're wrong," he said, his voice hoarse. He grew the Master Sword and held it so that it was right in front of Ganondorf's face. "He's right here!" He watched his adversary's eyes grow wide, and then lashed out, cutting him across the face. Ganondorf cursed and dropped Dark, who rolled to one side, coughing and trying to get his breath back. Ganondorf unsheathed his sword, and the two become locked in a deadly battle. Dark had to move quickly to make up for his inferior strength, avoiding his foes attacks rather than blocking them and quickly taking advantage of the moments where Ganon left himself wide open.

One of his slashes left a nasty gash in the evil king's side, but left him open to attack. He took a blast full in the face for it, and staggered back into a wall. He stayed there, immobilized by the blast, and Ganon came up and stood right in front of him, sneering at him triumphantly. "Game over," growled the Gerudo, drawing a dagger from his belt. "So passeth the Hero of Time!" He plunged the blade into Dark's stomach, and the youth lurched forward at the force of the blow. Blood dripped from his mouth and from the fresh wound, and Ganon twisted the dagger, worsening the pain that already racked Dark's body. The evil man laughed, sure he had won, then gagged as the Master Sword was driven into his chest so hard that it went all the way through and poked out the back. He looked at Dark, and saw a nasty grin on his face, blood staining his teeth red, until Ganon's eyes rolled to the back of his head. He slid off Dark's blade as he fell to the floor, and Dark was close in following, falling parallel to the wall as he lost consciousness.

The Moblins restraining Princess Zelda freaked out and ran out of the room, leaving Zelda free to call upon the aid of the Sages. She lifted her arms, palms outward, and faced Ganondorf, calling out with her mind: _Sages! Hear my plea! Aid me once more in sealing this villain into the void!_ Immediately, a great surge of energy surrounded the Princess, who acted as the conductor, and a rush of multi-colored magic roared out from her palms, surrounding Ganondorf and lifting him into the air. He was engulfed in a tornado of color and light, which was consumed in a column of darkness, then disappeared. Zelda wavered on her feet, dizzy from control so much magic at one time, then rushed to help the two fallen heroes.

The next day, Malon was standing in the corral with the horses, enjoying the wind blowing through her hair. Her father and Ingo had gone to the castle to see if they could help clean up from the incident the night before. Shadowmane had come back riderless to the Ranch, and Malon was worried about Dark, but she had to wait until her father came home before she got any answers.

Then she heard a whistling noise, and an arrow landed on a fencepost a feet few away from her. There was something tied to it, and when she took it off, she saw that it was her horse handkerchief, stained with blood. The sight of it struck fear into her heart, and she began to cry, fearing the worst. Then she heard a familiar voice say softly, "Don't cry, Malon. It breaks my heart to see you cry." She looked around, and there was Dark, seated on the wall of the ranch and in perfect health. The healers at the castle knew their trade well.

"Dark!" Malon cried, running over. He jumped down from the wall, and she smothered him in a bear hug. "Don't you ever scare me like that again!" she scolded, squeezing him tight. He hugged her back, and no words could describe how either of them felt to be in each other's arms again.

The End

A/N: Aaaawww, it's over! Hope you guys liked it. This is probably my longest chapter ever! I bet some of you are bugged that Dark ended up being the Hero of Time, and I'm sorry, but that's what happened, and I won't change it.

Anyway, if you wanted to know, Dark and Malon end up getting married and have two kids, a boy and a girl. Dark is pardoned for freeing Ganondorf, since it was an accident and he helped to seal him back into the Void anyway. Link is also fine, and all of Hyrule becomes peaceful again… until the next time Zelda get captured, anyway…

And… that's it! Now go out and do something productive!

Dark: Hypocrite.

Me: … True…


End file.
